Some bee swarms are easy to get; others are more work
Swarm season!! It will be here before you know it and are you ready? It is still winter and you aren’t doing a lot in the bee yard. But there are things that you can do to get ready for swarm season in the spring. If you keep bees, you more than likely will have a swarm or two from your own bee yard and/or will be getting calls from friends and relatives about swarms and you need to be ready.
Some essentials for your “bee go” kit to catch a swarm
Preparation
Gather these items for your toolkit now as you have to be ready at a moments notice when you get the call.
Information-If you get the call for a bee swarm, make sure that it is honey bees (ask for a picture) and that it is less than 15 feet high and not inside the walls of a house. Ask lots of questions before going out so you know it isn’t yellow jackets or hornets and a waste of time. Everyone tends to say “swarm”, when they see bees flying around. But a honeybee swarm is really distinctive.
Computer Box-a computer paper box is perfect for making your swarm portable. A telescoping cover to keep the bees contained and large enough to place a small branch, which you might need to saw off a tree with swarm attached.
Pruner and Portable Pruning Saw-Swarms often settle on low lying branches and trees. If you can saw off the branch and box it up, this is ideal in boxing up your swarm.
Bee Suit & Veil- I like to wear a bee suit and veil hiving up a swarm, because bees can get a little hyper when you are shaking a branch to drop the swarm into a box!
Sugar Water in Spray Bottle-Another method to calm the bees is a 1:1 solution of sugar water. Wetting them down will reduce flying tendencies. Use a large sprayer, like a 32 ounce size, not the tiny spritzing kind.
Bee Brush- For stragglers to move them along into the box or off of a branch. Make sure it is washed and not crusted with hardened honey. Think soft!
Old Sheet- a drop cloth for ushering in the bees into the computer box; Also doubles as a wrap for the computer box full of bees for the car trip home. You don’t want any straggler bees coming out!
For higher swarms, you will need a ladder, pole pruner and bucket to drop the swarm into
2 Comments
get ready!
To whom it may concern, I am a member of a newly formed bee club. Our goal is to educate people who want to keep bees but need guidance and when needed a mentor. I have been ask to prepare a newsletter each month for the club and have found the task to be extremely formable. Coming up with worthwhile information is very difficult, I do write about what I know and ask other members to contribute when possible. I subscribe to your articles and find them very informative and would like to share them with my club. I have not used any articles to date and will not do so without permission, if permitted to republish your articles I would ensure that due credit is given. The information would only be used in the newsletter which is free to members only. If you cannot give permission for this I understand. I would appreciate it if you know of any open sources of information that we could also use. Thank You.