The English Spot basks in the sun on the deck. Rosy wanders on the lowest part of the deck's frame, his old wings lifted slightly as a warning against the imposing rabbits. Dora will impose herself upon anyone's calm.
We're getting wind. The clothes on the line are flying. There are tornadoes reported in other parts of the state. It sounds like the farmer across the road is finally planting, his tractor grinding to a stop and start, and now a constant distant roar. An occasional gunshot down the road...this is my quiet afternoon on a holiday weekend a couple of hours after our first known swarm of the season.
You don't always know when a swarm is coming, or even if it has happened, but there are signs if you keep a good watch over your hives. You may see bearding, as in the photo at the top of this posting. The bees will hang out on the face of the hive on very hot days or if they are crowded. Crowding is a sure sign of a swarm to come. When you inspect inside the hives, which should be done regularly while the bees are collecting, you will see conical shapes built on the bottom of a frame. Those are the chambers where a new queen may be being prepared for a swarm. The bees have rules, but I find the whole thing terribly mysterious.
