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LA Backwards Beekeeper Ruth writes:
On Friday I answered a call on the Bee Rescue Hotline to pick up a swarm near my house in Mid-City LA. Newbee Rob met me there to pick up the bees, and Ceebs took the pictures and offered words of wisdom.
The swarm was barely visible - the homeowner had to point it out to me.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhMwMaGk158DNtTkAceJRtdh-tFi9af2bHtScfA1GxksDjvGyRKWK7QAvpDr1O9TNxDQo7grhudrAh0o5aPLq5vEyG_KND_LI8imNtS06l7U7VJxQX2crQXSnrCFj7Ha9MoZLllYj04Ks/s400/ruth2.jpg)
From close up it was easier to see (it's on the right in the photo above).
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfHQ2EQjD9_61xLYtg22irAc-si0eDGyYS5lgC3RhWA3Fxvk-aHSUKAargTVVKVxmkwTyihNUHvb8bgMUEZfiXXUntV41HZhg8cEoYaVAGoErS3anOaGj65IUwkk4nhJyT2HIlGR1J8ew/s400/ruth3.jpg)
While I put the nuc box together, and put some honey comb in it, Anne, the caller, watched and her girls danced around.
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It turned out to be a bigger swarm than it looked. They just kept falling into that nuc.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWedcBc6zpx0qNrlVKigfquKSS3-kNfLn6mVVN8NNaAFu3GdsJRvUwMY81tXa0C-pVmTmPIsSd9PZmBOq-o-puEmL-wyTNeM2ljCU8HDkqVHVtHUmpVTrsyZaaCY-qseIJBUXvxFG-bkE/s400/ruth5.jpg)
After the first shakes, the bees flew back to nearby branches in little clusters. I picked them down
and shook them in with their kin in the box. After waiting for 5 minutes, I shook again. Then did that again!
They stay in the box because they stick close to their colony-mates.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdYqDwozMfM6iJUb9BPikTWf6ZRoF2yEBC2BX9lyhKLjHUE-BJb1R2nnlVeeUBmIA5iRciyiOuNHt06Z6fT9sNOIYfbom5loBAEF-dvz7Mi3PBmiR1rSU9sL8QWzoqOpw7HvFgz381z7Y/s400/ruth6.jpg)
The children watched from a safe distance. The downstairs neighbor too.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_7u2Yz-WmZKu_9ySFvsOpcK3OLoqFsSi2jHOIMvP2PnQpAUSpXwqhrXvvqitZHh6DDXjH6x9xN3b-Q0Ijj9CuYUsG0Nvz9-aSGXRUd0KiVyp7UbEbkHfAWcipZfFPfu2QVA4DhPmpZo/s400/ruth7.jpg)
To make sure they wouldn't go back to that spot, I sprayed it with 50% vinegar water and left behind a little "Straggler Box" (in my hand), taped up with a small hole and honey comb in it. This will be the new bee-owner's responsibility to pick up. They are his bees now.
Anne will be a beekeeper in the future. For now, she watches and learns with her kids. She gave us some amazing
avocados from her tree as a thank-you! Thank you too, Anne!
—Ruth