I finally nutted up, put the bee jacket on and checked a few new splits this afternoon. They have gathered some pollen and had finished off the syrup I put in the frame feeders in each hive. I'll refill the feeders tomorrow. I would have done it today but I was out of sugar.

I was surprised to see as much brood in the hives as I saw. I guess feeding them syrup stimulated them to keep raising brood.

I got a swarm call this evening about 7:30. The swarm was clustered on a mailbox in the Martling community. This is by far the latest in the year I have seen a swarm. It's a small swarm, maybe a quart jar full. If a beekeeper hadn't caught them, they would have died. Nothing is blooming this time of year, especially with the drought. I'll put a feeder in with them in the morning.

Sweet. How lucky can you get? I'm guessing you could have sprayed those down with sugar water and had them in a super in 10 minutes. Congrats on the free bees.

BTW: My split is looking better every day. Practically eating a half gallon of syrup a day. Sure is nice walking 75 feet to feed them. I let the feeder go dry just to see how much they are consuming. Right at a half gallon the last two days. Gonna top it off tomorrow. Probably take a look inside this weekend too.

It really took about one minute. I got a guy to run up and hit the mailbox from behind while I held a nuc under it. They all fell in, I put the lid on. Easiest swarm catch ever. I just wish it had been about 5 pounds of bees.

I'm glad your split is doing well. So far I am well pleased with those queens. I have 15 more of them on order for April 1st of next year so if you think you might want some let me know and I'll up the order. I'm gonna make some splits with mine.

Any idea what kind of queens those are? Just curious. Mine seem pretty calm so far. Cut grass 10 feet from them and can take the top off and add syrup and don't even get buzzed with either action.

If they stay pretty calm, I'm definitely planning to requeen my weak hive next spring.

Gotta get some supers off my weak hive I think. Left a medium on with the idea of keeping syrup on so they would draw the comb. Getting a little worried after looking at the amount of bees going in and out today.

Wade all I know is that they're from bees that have been raised in that location, Danville Arkansas since the 30's. They bring in some Italian genes from time to time to breed with their bees. That's what the lady told me.

They are pretty docile. I've been out working in the garden all around those splits today and never even got buzzed.

They most likely won't be as calm when they get strong hives going. Most others aren't anyway. Surely they will be calmer than my bees.

Does high wind ever blow them hives over when stacked that high?

I've never had one stacked this high before and I may never again, but I see them online this tall quite often. I have never had a hive blow over.

The bees glue all the boxes together with Propolis. They are stuck together to the point that they have to be pried apart with a tool.

A hive the size of the one pictured probably weighs anywhere from 300-500 lbs depending on how full of honey the boxes are so it would take a pretty good wind to blow it over.

Do ya'll sell your honey or give it away? I can't hardly eat it, too sweet, but the polinators gave me 5 or 6 cases this year. I give it away to friends.

A friend of mine went down to Wewahitchika a few weeks ago to the tupelo honey festival, he was going to buy a case of it. He said he changed his mind as it was $600 a case.

I give my parents and my wifes parents a good bit and sold quite a bit. I didn't make enough this year to sell. I had to make bees this year to replace my losses from last year. Can't make both.