The Wayward Swarm, Part 4 (284)

In this final installment of the "Wayward Swarm" saga, Dr. Jim Tew and Jason Ferrell return to the colony that has caused more trouble, worry, and excitement than either expected. After multiple attempts to recover and hive the swarm — including ladders, falls, cold weather, bee vacuums, overloaded trap cages, and weeks of uncertainty — Jim finally opens the hive for the first inspection. What they discover surprises both of them. Despite losing a significant number of bees during the ordeal and never once seeing the queen after the swarm was collected, the colony survived. Jim and Jason find eggs and young larvae spread across multiple frames, confirming that the queen successfully survived the swarm capture, the transfer, and the difficult conditions that followed. Along the way, Jim reflects on how quickly beekeeping can shift from "not enough bees" to "too many bees," especially after unexpectedly strong overwintered colonies and package installations. He also shares thoughts on aging in the bee yard, the realities of ladder work, swarm management decisions, and the unpredictable nature of small mating swarms. The discussion also touches on package colony buildup, swarm behavior, queen survival, feeding small colonies, and the strange tendency for swarms to revisit the same locations. Mostly, though, this episode captures the humor, frustration, and satisfaction that often accompany real-world beekeeping. As Jim says, this may well become "a beautiful three or four segment issue on how not to hive a swarm." ______________________ Thanks to Betterbee for sponsoring today's episode. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies. ______________________ Honey Bee Obscura is brought to you by Growing Planet Media, LLC, the home of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Music: Heart & Soul by Gyom, All We Know by Midway Music; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; original guitar music by Jeffrey Ott Cartoons by: John Martin (Beezwax Comics) Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC