How to Catch a Swarm of Bees
Finding a swarm is a good way to add a hive or to increase a weak hive's productivity. A swarm usually finds a temporary site not far from its original hive and not far off the ground and stays there until the scouts find a permanent location nearby.
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Things You'll Need
- NUC Or Hives With Frames
- Bee Brushes
- Beekeeper Gloves
- Protective Clothing
- Drop Cloths Or Old Sheet
- Duct Tape
- Lemon-scented Furniture Polishes
- Butcher Knife
- Cotton String
- Ropes
- Ladders
Instructions
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Catching a Swarm Near the Ground
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1
Remove two or three frames from a beeless hive and position them at a height below your head.
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Spray the beehive with lemon-scented furniture polish.
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3
Shake the limb or bush holding the swarm to dislodge the bees.
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4
Replace the frames and lid of the hive after the swarm enters the hive.
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5
Leave the hive for a few hours while stray bees find their way into the hive.
Catching a Swarm High in a Tree
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6
Gather your equipment: lemon-scented furniture polish; ladder or rope and weight (such as a rock or any heavy object); drop cloth; and an empty hive body.
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Spread a sheet or drop cloth on the ground under the cluster.
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Place the empty hive body on the drop cloth under the swarm. You can use the drop cloth to gather up the swarm if it misses the hive body.
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Spray the hive with the lemon-scented furniture polish to help attract the bees to their new home.
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Remove the top of the hive.
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Use the ladder if possible, or tie the weight to the end of the rope end and throw the weight over the limb where the bees are clustered.
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Jerk both ends of the rope to dislodge the cluster of bees.
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Replace the top of the hive after the swarm drops into the hive body.
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14
Leave the hive for a few hours while stray bees find their way into the hive.
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1
Tips & Warnings
You may have to shake the tree limb a few times to get all the bees. A frame of brood will help entice the bees to stay.
Check the hive in two to three days for eggs. If the hive is queenless, you will need to provide a queen quickly or the hive will die.
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Comments
View all 6 Comments-
beesontoast
Jul 07, 2007
Do NOT spray bees with furniture polish or you will kill most of them. Spray with water with a little sugar dissolved in it if you really need to, but swarms are usually quite passive and easy to handle. -
beesontoast
Jul 07, 2007
Do NOT spray bees with furniture polish or you will kill most of them. Spray with water with a little sugar dissolved in it if you really need to, but swarms are usually quite passive and easy to handle.
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Feb 28, 2006
Any beekeeper who has an empty package bee cage can use it with a funnel to catch a swarm. It's not necessary to get the entire swarm into the package. A pluming flange can be attached and a paint roller extension used for a high swarm. The package lid is attached to the package by a nail at a corner, so the lid can be swung closed by a string or other means. After getting part of the swarm into the package it's lid is closed and secured. The package is raised and a held near to the cluster and the cluster is scattered with a bee brush. The swarm will re-cluster but with more bees on the bee package. By scattering the swarm off it's cluster spot the cage can be put into a large box or bee net made large enough to hold the bee cage package and all. The shipping struts wood pieces can be added back to the bee cage package so it holds the bee net bag off the bees.
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Feb 28, 2006
Any beekeeper who has an empty package bee cage can use it with a funnel to catch a swarm. It's not necessary to get the entire swarm into the package. A pluming flange can be attached and a paint roller extension used for a high swarm. The package lid is attached to the package by a nail at a corner, so the lid can be swung closed by a string or other means. After getting part of the swarm into the package it's lid is closed and secured. The package is raised and a held near to the cluster and the cluster is scattered with a bee brush. The swarm will re-cluster but with more bees on the bee package. By scattering the swarm off it's cluster spot the cage can be put into a large box or bee net made large enough to hold the bee cage package and all. The shipping struts wood pieces can be added back to the bee cage package so it holds the bee net bag off the bees.
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Nov 22, 2005
Throw a rope over the branch where they are, and then tie it to a hive body almost full of frames. Pull the box up under the swarm and yank the rope a little to shake a few in. The rest follow within five minutes! Lower the box and build your hive!
