DrugCrazed, that's what I thought too. The beekeeper told us that an older queen flies off with a group of workers, and that's the swarm - they are looking for a new nesting site. Scout bees fly around looking for a site, and when they find it the whole swarm moves to the selected site.

Doctor said the thumb won't fall off, and the soreness and redness will settle down in a few more days. That's good to know.

Cheers
JennieG