Backwards Beekeeper Marianne says:
Visit to the local nursery to get some tomato and basil plants. Big ado there, manager, customers, and a whole bunch of bees in the air. Wow, there is a swarm stuck to the underside of that shelf!
Me: Can I take it?!
Voice in my mind: Did I really say that? Do I know how to do that?
Manager: Please, take them away, they upset the customers!
Me: O.k., I'll be right back. Voice in my mind: What am I doing? I must be crazy! But I have read so much about it, call myself a beekeeper, I should be able to do this!
Home and back in ten minutes with my hive box—which has been ready for a while—and friend Jeff. Set open box (minus 4 or 5 frames in the center) on the shelf below, sprayed bees with sugar water, used dustpan to scrape them off the bottom of the upper shelf, and that was it. They fell right in!
Lid back on (forgot to tape it in my excitement, but bee goddess was with us and it stayed on). Half hour later, after setting box back on frame, inserting missing frames and laying baggie with honey from last bees (may they be blessed!) across top sitting with beer in hand watching MY NEW BEES crawling in and out of the entrance, doing orientation flights, feeling quite at home already.
I love them! Can't believe I did this! Thanks to everybody for all the information I got from this site.
