April swarm from top bar hive

They finally did it!  The bees from my top bar hive swarmed.  And what an amazing swarm it was.  They say a basketball sized swarm will do well. This was at least 3 basketballs in size!  Unfortunately they swarmed in the neighbors backyard.  She, for good reason, was freaked out but calmed down when we assured her that bees are the most docile when swarming.  My 9 year old son Fin demonstrated this by standing below the swarm and gently cupped the bottom-most bees.  He is fearless when it comes to bees and has read every beekeeping book we have, so he is a good bee advocate.  My younger son Asher's appreciation of the bees runs more towards their honey-making capabilities.

The neighbor was kind enough to allow a large group of on-lookers to congregate in her yard taking photos and running around wildly (my 2 boys).  She also didn't make a fuss when fellow beekeepers came by and sawed the large branch of her tree in order to catch the swarm.  Thanks so much!