So, while I was still just worried that Henry wasn't answering his phone, I found a swarm of bees in the tree in my front yard. From what I've learned since then, it must have been there for a few days at least - I found it because an empty honeycomb had fallen onto my lawn.
I decided to try to keep it. Partially just the synchronicity of it all, when I found them. Partially just, you know, yay bees. They're disappearing all over the place and here some show up in my yard, I'd like to try to take care of them as best I can. And partially because Henry had a real fascination for emergent phenomena and bees have that in spades - individuals with a limited number of instinctive actions that as a collective can carry out crazy complex things. Also, honey is good.
Of course, I couldn't do much about that right away. My mom and sister went up to Sacramento and found a beekeeping supply house that set me up with a beginning beekeeping kit including a hive and frames and whatnot. We got it all set up with a feeder full of sugar water hoping the swarm would just move in, but that didn't happen. I finally called a swarm removing volunteer from a local list and told him I didn't want them removed but I did want help getting them into the hive and he is on his way.
Sweet.
Drat, someone just called from the city and said that looking at my property it doesn't seem as if I can place a hive so it will comply with the ordinance (50 ft from everyone else, basically). I had assumed that putting it in the middle of my backyard would work. Oh well, still going to try and capture it and then we'll see what we shall see. Kinda wish I hadn't bothered to ask for a permit, but I do like to be legal. If I can't comply, maybe I can apply for a variance, or maybe I will have outlaw bees.
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