Out in the edge of the woods by a pasture is a working hive in an upside down cattle feed tub. I want to keep the bees in the tub and catch a swarm from it. I have heard that they will walk on a white cloth from the old hive to the new one. I have caught a lot of swarms , but never tried it like this. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thank you.
I have shaken a swarm onto a white sheet with a hive in the middle of the sheet and had them walk right on in. The idea being they want to get away from the brightness of the sheet and go into the dark hive entrance. It was real neat to watch actually as they just kinda lined up and marched right in! :-D I do not believe what you are describing would work though.
Quote from: jdpro5010 on April 21, 2009, 12:18:38 PM
I have shaken a swarm onto a white sheet with a hive in the middle of the sheet and had them walk right on in. The idea being they want to get away from the brightness of the sheet and go into the dark hive entrance. It was real neat to watch actually as they just kinda lined up and marched right in! :-D I do not believe what you are describing would work though.
Ya know I read about that somewhere that you could lay out a sheet put a box in it then shake the swarm and they would walk in
Keith
The bees will not leave an established colony because of a sheet.
The white sheet will work on swarms not established colonies. When I first started beekeeping, canvas was readily available and I had a 8X8 square of white canvas that I used for hiving all my free hanging swarms. Shake the branch, the bees fall down onto the hive and white sheet and they begin walking into the hive. These days I use a White king sized bed sheet, it's easier to wash than the canvas.