Bees on a Boat...oh no!!

One afternoon I was hanging out on SV Finess (which is a 28 foot sailboat anchored less than 100ft away from SOMF) when all of a sudden Donnie (the owner) came rushing in through the companion way shutting the doors faster than I could ask what was going on.  Looking out the side portholes we could see thousands of bees swarming in the cockpit.  They were so loud, we did not know where they came from or why they choose this boat to try to make a hive on.  But about an hour the noise started to die down so slowly looking out the campanion door we could see them all bunched in the port side cubby hole.  Not quite sure what to do, the first instint Donnie had was to try to get them off his boat so he took a can of carbarator fluid and sprayed the massive swarm.  Well to say the least that pissed them off, they all took off flying, after about another hour or so of being trapped in this small, hot boat we could not hear them anymore, so we ventured out.  We were not sure if they were still on the boat, we had a feeling that they might have moved up under the sail cover, but we were not sticking around to check it out.  I got in my kayak and went back to SOMF, while Donnie went to shore.  That evening I saw Donnie go back to the boat, did not check around, just went inside and lock up.  The next morning I dinghed over to his boat to see if he check to see if they were still on the boat, he said he had not yet but was about to .  So going up to the front of the sail cover, and slowly unzipped it, and WOW there they were, so he jumped in the dinghy and we took off to go see Steve on SV Go For Broke, who we heard was the guy to see if you have questions about bees.   About an hour later Steve was on Donnies boat while we were safely in the dinghy, if we needed a fast get away, but I'll be damn, a couple of hours later Steve had almost of the bees in a box with only one sting on the arm. 

First Steve added honey to a box try entise the bees into it

Second, Steve had to find the bees

There they are!!!

Third, he put the box with honey up to the box and....

Skrapped them off!!!!

While a bunch started to fly around, there were quite a few that went into the box, he repeated this process a couple of times till he got the majority of them in the box

He then stuck the box up there (with the lid tapped shut) and a small opening for the rest of them to find there way in.  He claims that they want to be in that box, because the queen is in there.  And after a while almost all of them went in there.

After Steve had the box safely taped up, I invited him and Donnie over for a beer to celebrate a victory.  He then went and released the box in a open field far away from the boat, and said that the would find a new place to build a home.  The few bees that were left, would expend their energy and die off.  I have to say that is was quite an experience and thank got it was not on SOMF!!  Great Job Steve!!!