Never had I thought of raising bees until I met someone who did.......I was so intrigued and began researching (short version) and purchased my first nuk.......a box with a feeder, queen and 10,000 bees.....workers, drones etc. As I basked in the sun out at the barn, doors wide open with boxes to paint and get ready for the reception of my new guests I reminisced, going over my life singing new songs of happy times, happily painting away......upon arrival my dear friends Dick and Bessie came clad in bee garb ready for the transfer from nuk box to hive box.......two deep frame boxes and one narrow honey super......(added later) that would be for the collecting of honey for my own consumption.....fast forward....the bees are happy in the orchard of 25 trees I have planted for them and a ground of clover with ample water available to them via the pond that surrounds the orchard. One month later I am sitting in the solarium drinking coffee readying myself for the day and I notice a "basket" hanging from a small tree inside the fenced yard.....realizing it is a bee swarm I call again my friend Dick and together we capture the hive and install it into a box.......not 2 weeks later that hive decides to swarm!!!! As my granddaughter Grace heads for the gate to the orchard to mow circles around the tree she is greeted by a cloud of bees swirling and circling through the air..........not 10 minutes later they alight onto a small pear tree bending the branch to the ground......to my surprise they linger for four hours while I wait for the chance to once again capture them with a new hive box........but alas as I return from watering the chickens while waiting for the box to arrive I am disappointed to find the swarm has left! Oh well, next time....meanwhile the original hive has left me a nice gift of comb drenched honey with lots of pollens in it to spread on my toast and peanut butter for lunch! Have a beeeeee--autiful day!