My hive easily lost 75%- and I would have kept it but I’d just caught so many smaller swarms I didn’t have anything ready to put it in. My friend had just finished painting a new hive so it was meant to be. He was very lucky indeed. This is the swarm:
One thing I learned catching swarms: if you keep bees it’s a good idea to have a lemon tree- a rose bush- and lemongrass in your garden. Of the 14 swarms I caught at least 9 were in or near one of these things. I’m pretty sure the queen must be sniffing when she leaves- and these things attract her- where she goes they go. Rose bushes make for easy swarm capture:
