How to Catch a Queen Bee
There are three different social classifications within bee hives, and it is typically the same as long as the bees are colony bees. There is the queen at the very top of the totem pole. There is typically only one queen bee per hive, and this lovely creature goes around and fills the cells of the hive up with eggs that will soon hatch into daughters or drones. Drones are male bees in the colony whose only job is to mate with the queen. After mating, the drones typically die. The female bees are the worker bees. They begin working shortly after hatching by feeding the larvae and other "in house" duties. After a few weeks of working indoors, they are sent out to forage for food.
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Things You'll Need
- Large box
- Piece of old hive
- Bee suit
- Magnifying glass (if needed)
- Flash light
- Glass jar or container
Instructions
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1
Catch a swarm of bees by placing a piece of an old hive into a large box that can be opened and closed.
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2
Put on the bee suit.
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3
Open the box and shine the flashlight in to see the bees.
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4
Look for a large bee with a red marking on the thorax (neck area). This is the queen bee.
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5
Scoop her into a jar or other container where she can breathe but not escape.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Add some fragrant flowers to the box to encourage the bees to swarm to your hive instead of returning to their previous hive.
Bees can sting and they are painful. Wear bee suits at all times when messing with bees to ensure you will not be injured.
