How to Capture the Queen Bee

If you're looking to start and keep your own bee colony, there are a few things you'll need to know. A colony not only requires "worker" bees, which are the bees who do all the pollinating and foraging, but also male "drones" to create new bees and, of course, a queen bee. The queen is the bee that gives birth to new bees, who then go on to work on the hive. By following a few steps, you can capture the queen bee.

Things You'll Need

• Box with a lid
• Old beehive
• Bee suit
• Ventilated container

Instructions

1. Locate a beehive and place your box containing the old beehive near it. Over time, you'll begin to attract some of the bees to your hive. When you get how many you want, close the lid.

2. Put on your bee suit. This is crucial, as it helps you avoid very painful bee stings that will only be multiplied if you're dealing with a large number of bees.

3. Open the box and look for the bee that has a red dot on its thorax. This is the queen bee.

4. Coax the queen bee into your ventilated container using your hand and close it so she can't escape.

References

• Liberty4Bees: Bee Facts
• Dwayne This and That: How to Catch a Swarm of Bees

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish