In the intervening months, I have been contributing regularly to a forum called "Bio Bees" (http://www.biobees.com/forum/), which is a forum for natural, low-tech, bee-friendly bee-keeping. One of the members on there, a long-established natural bee-keeper called Barbara, kindly offered to give me her first primary swarm of the season. Her bees are mainly hardy large black British bees and so are well suited to our variable climate here in the UK.
Well, I got a call on my mobile during last lesson today from Barbara informing me that her strongest colony has just thrown a swarm and she is busy collecting it this afternoon and will be housing it in the home-made Warre hive I constructed and left at her apiary a couple of weeks ago.
I break up for the half term holiday at the end of next week and so I will be going up to County-Durham to collect then.
Can't wait.....
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
By the way, Barbara is looking for homes for her other swarms from her apiary that will be thrown this season (she allows all her hives to naturally swarm and does not engage in any swarm control or artificial splitting or queening of hives). Consequently, if anyone lives within commuting distance of Newcastle (her place is only about 15 miles south of there), PM me and I'll put you in touch with her.