Yesterday, we had our third swarm in two weeks.
This time it was a bowling ball-sized clump up in the pear tree. I didn’t get a picture, as it would have involved getting up on the ladder without protective gear, but C was able to clip a branch with about one third of the bees attached. He placed it in his hand-built skep and while we ate our dinner, the rest of the clump moved right on in!
It was mid-afternoon when the swarm was noticed, and so there wasn’t any time to lose in hunting down another box. C whipped up this skep in less than thirty minutes from a woven basket we used to keep toys in. Since we didn’t have any cow manure on hand for a more traditional variety, C mixed up a little plaster to cover the outside of the basket, set it on a base that provided them with an entry/exit point and voila! Home Sweet Buzzy Home.
As of this morning, there is not a bee left in the pear tree, and only a few still lingering on the rose arbor.
The box and skep are now ocupado and we have a stack of books on beekeeping from the library.
In other news, I am likely to update the shop this weekend…there are tons of wool bits for crafters, perhaps a few yarns. I am hoarding for several reasons, however…MDSW is coming up, where Cloverhill Yarn Shop will have my wares, Purl Jam is opening up in Califon, NJ with a selection of Monkeyspun, and Bazaar Bizarre at Maker Faire is fast approaching. I will do my best, though, to keep the shop in order, and also to provide Urban Fauna Studio some fresh yarns. In the meantime, I will be teaching an art yarn workshop there this weekend and will be scheduling felting workshops as well as new installments of the SpinLab series of classes. Contact me to sign up for the newsletter if you are local to any these areas and would like a reminder! And please let me know if you have any special requests for workshops in the SF or East Bay Area.
Thespunmonkey's Blog 
I take the craft fairs are doing better by your list… wish I could play side kick.
What an innovative skep. 3 swarms! That’s more than people see in their llifetime. It must be meant to be, for you all to keep bees–but you’ll have to break the pinata to get their honey. I’m glad the bees have a home.
Crispin is already mulling over ways he can preserve the colony at harvest time…the bottom can slide out from under the skep and he’s hoping to be able to transfer them into a hive box. Hmmmm….
you call that “only a few” bees?! wow. I am completely intrigued by beekeeping. Someday…
yup–it’s show season! I’m happy your yarns will be in new stores and lots of shows.
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