First Observations as a New Beekeeper - Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper - page 54

Unfortunately, I did not learn about swarming until my first swarm was upon me.
It was mid-afternoon during my second spring as a beekeeper. I was working in my
garden, transplanting a box of seedlings into their new home of raised beds, when I
looked up and saw what looked like a miniature tornado at the entrance of my bee-
hive. Thousands of honeybees hovering in the air like a turbulent storm. I dropped my
small spade and cautiously walked over for a closer look. As I approached, I could
hear the bees' powerful, low-pitched buzzing. Just as I arrived, the swarm began to
move slowly toward a tree branch overhead. Their migration was a dramatic sight to
behold—perfectly orchestrated, as if there should have been an operatic aria playing in
the background. As the swarm approached the branch, several bees lighted on the limb
while others followed. There they united as a huge cluster dangling from the branch.
Spectacular!Theclustergrewlargerandlarger,thebeesclingingtooneanothertoform
what looked like a gob of honey dripping off the end of a spoon. It swayed gracefully
in the light breeze. And then, rather abruptly, the swarm fell to the ground in a clump.
My maternal instincts kicked in, and I dropped to my knees to find the queen in the
pile of bees that now lay on the grass underneath the branch. Somewhere in the center
of that swarm, I knew, was its queen. I thought if I could capture her and return her
to the hive, the swarm would soon follow. I found a long twig, which I used to gently
spread apart the cluster of bees, and I began searching for the queen. My queen was not
marked, so I had to rely on a keen eye to identify her in the pile of tens of thousands
of bees. The more bees I spread, the deeper into the cluster I dug. Careful not to hurt
a single bee, I patiently continued spreading them out until at last I spotted her. With
the twig, I guided her away from the cluster and cupped her between my two hands.
Although the queen has a stinger, it is not barbed, nor is she ready to use it. I held her
loosely in my hands, giving her enough room to crawl.