A swarm in May is worth a tonne of hay

The popular rhyme that indicated the value of a swarm of bees as the season progresses goes:

A swarm in May is worth a load of hay.

A swarm in June is worth a silver spoon.

A swarm in July isn’t worth a fly.

If we apply a literal translation to the rhyme, I owe Andres Collinson, an awesome natural beekeeper in Little Birch two tonnes of hay. He has given me two swarms in May 2021 so far.