hello all swarm catchers -
I'm gearing up for a few swarms soon and am trying to put together a checklist of equipment that I need to keep on hand when a swarm call comes in. What do you all take with you when you get a call that a swarm has localized?
Also, when you get a cut-out call, what additional equipment do you take with you?
David
Swarms are often a different situation than you anticipated. Cut-outs are almost always a different situation than you anticipated.
For a swarm call, I usually take two medium eight frame boxes (well used) with some dark brood comb, some lemongrass essential oil and some QMP (either "queen juice" or Psuedo Queen). A Bottom and a cover. I setup the hive with four drops (or a q-tip dipped in) of lemongrass essential oil. If I have queen juice (a jar of "retired" queens in alcohol) I dip the other end of the q-tip in that. Otherwise I use 1/4 of one of the Psuedo Queen strips. and put that in. I comb back after dark and take them home...
A bunch of this stuff travels in totes, and is just always in the truck bed.
Personal Protective Equipment
Extra Veils for on-lookers -- *Bee education is a primary goal.
A jar or two of honey. --defuses the homeowner that wants to be paid for the bees.
Benadry
Epi-Pen
Reflective warning triangles. Swarms seem attracted to roadways (tanging?) and the number of near-accidents is astounding, invariably a column of bees is spiralling in front of a motorcyclist.
Ice chest
5 gallon buckets with screen inset lid and cork. -- Sometime bucketing the swarm is the easiest, take them home and sort things out.
Cardboard box with ventilation screen -- cause 5 gallon buckets are awkard on sloping surfaces.
Scrap of dog-proof window screen/ Plastic drywall corner. For closing things up.
Plastic queen excluder scrap
cone of window screen
Smoker (and cardboard, woodshavings, and matches) -- sometimes nothing to burn at a swarm site.
My smokers travel in a air-tight metal garbage can (about 15 gal capacity). Nothing except the smokers ever goes in the fire can. (Water, shovel and fire extinguisher always on hand in the truck).
Spray bottle with light syrup and essential oil
Lemon grass
Artificial Almond Extract - A cheap quart from the restaurant supply. To mask the swarm scent on the landing spot.
Queen clip trap
Queen cage
Dust Pan -- nice deep one, or look for the one with a closing top
Bee Brush
Kitchen Broom
Fillet knife
Drywall scraper
Strong flashlight/floodlight
Headlamp -- cause looking for the queen is easier with a really bright LED light. and you are going to take a box home in the dark.
3 Deeps with cork holes
Nuc box (removable top and bottom) with cork hole
Reversible top and bottom covers
10 Open frames
6 Pierco Plastic Frame.
4 Dark Drawn Comb
nylon line for binding hive, shock cord bind
Battery drill, charged -- drywall screws. Cause screws are best so things don't come apart
Duct Tape/ Gaffer Tape -- the good stuff that sticks to moist surfaces.
T-51 stapler, 3/8" stapels
Top cover with mason jar sized hole and "floor drain funnel" -- PVC floor drain/gutter fittings McGyver'ed into the jar top hole. Lets you add that last handful of bees without opening the screened box up again.
Canvas drop cloth. To make it easier for the girls to march in. Its got honey, wax and lemon oil soaked in. Attractive target all by itself.
Clippers
Large Prunners -Cause just cutting off the branch is the easiest.
Pruning Saw
Five gallon bucket (and/or saucepan) and wooden spoon for tanging. Try it some time. If the swarm takes flight, they will come back to the tang.
Step ladder
Pole pruner
Free-climbing gear:: (only if you know how to climb using single rope + ascenders technique)
Sling shot and fishing line with lead.
Parachute Cord and weight. Throw a line over a branch and give a big tug. The swarm ball will drop straight down.
Climbing line
Climbing spurs (gaffs and belt)
Jumar ascenders
(Climbing gear bag)
Bee Vac -- cause more often than not the public's swarm is actually an established hive, or the owner doesn't want you to clip a the branch.
Shop Vac
Extension cord
:goodpost:
Quote from: JWChesnut on May 29, 2013, 07:57:33 PM
A jar or two of honey. --defuses the homeowner that wants to be paid for the bees.
Wait.... What? Are you kidding?
You have an awesome list but if someone wanted to be paid for a swarm I would tell them to keep them. When I get bee calls they called me because they want the bees gone. You would pay someone to provide a service for them? I have a truck that needs washed & I like honey...
Am I completely out of line here? I am not so much offended that you would give someone a jar of honey as a thank you for calling you to get the bees but that a homeowner would demand payment for something that he 1. does not own and 2. considers a pest he wants removed.
Maybe it has something to do with where we live but I have never encountered anyone who thinks I owe them something for removing bees.
Ya catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
A little jar of honey is a nice gesture, and makes everyone so much sweeter. And they call you back, and they spread your name around. My guess is 90% of all swarms are killed with a can of RAID. And gifting a sweet jar of honey educates everone who gets a spoonful, that they are helping to save something really nice by calling you. And your name and phone number is on the label. To not be giving and considerate, you are being penny wise and pound foolish.
I have outyards on other folk's land, and I make gifts of honey all the time. Before they ask. It just a nice thing to do. But I am an old school hippy, and these modern hard-bitten capitalists just don't understand the milk of human kindness.
JWC = thank you so much for the checklist - it was exactly what I was looking for. As far as the honey (to give or not to give) I agree with you 100% however I would also be appalled if the land owner "demanded" it. I'd most likely politely tell him to find someone else. As far as an unsolicited gift - I love the idea! It goes a long way in the education category - especially with kids.
Thanks again!
David
Card board box with lid
lemongrass oil
brush
branch clippers
clip, brush or knock swarm into box that has some lemongrass in it. cover most of the way and set it down and wait for them to march in.
take home and hive them.
besure to give them some brood to protect so they don't abscond.
Alfred
good post JW!
You want to take a camera so we get to see photo's too!
Ben
If I don't have to drive far, I'll get a swarm out of a tree for free. If I have to drive very far, then I charge for my mileage. Cutouts I charge for. I never pay anyone anything for removing bees or swarms.
Quote from: JWChesnut on May 29, 2013, 11:48:50 PM
Ya catch more flies with honey than with vinegar.
A little jar of honey is a nice gesture, and makes everyone so much sweeter. And they call you back, and they spread your name around.
Agree completely. I would have no problem gifting honey and think it is a good idea even though that swarm may never produce a jar of honey for me. It must be a California thing about people demanding payment for swarms because, although I am pretty new at this, I have never heard of this before either personally or from anyone in any of the bee clubs I belong to. I am either treated like the knight who has come to slay the dragon or as a performer putting on a free show but never as someone seen as getting something for nothing.
That being said, I have learned a lot from your list and will be adding to my equipment. I think some of the items may reduce the "free show" part of my operation and while bad for my audience I think it wil be good for both me & the bees.
Yes, I am even going to keep some small jars of honey with me as an opportunity to thank & educate. I think it is a great idea. If anyone demands payment though, I will tell them to call me back when the bees move in to their house. I'm just stubborn like that. :roll: (I just don't see that happening where I live though.)
Yeah we went out to catch our first swarm Sunday and were asked how much (as in them pay us) a couple of times. Told them not necessary, I'll just keep the bees. Wish I had a small jar of honey though because I think it is a great way to encourage people to call you next time they see a swarm.
No offence but the list above sound like something out of a inspector gadget cartoon.
This time of the year I carry 2 deeps, bottoms already attached, covers and each with about 7 old frames. I carry a large telescoping paint pole and a swarm bucket that threads to it. I carry pruneing shears and large branch loppers. I have a bottle of lemongrass. The rest is all normal stuff that I have all summer. I have my smoker and a spray bottle with 1 to 1. I have my hooded jacket, a veil and helmet in the cab along with a few hive tools in the door pocket.
i bring my beesuit, 5 gallon vented bucket with a screened lid, pruning saw, small pruner, large pruner, lemon grass oil. 5 frame nuc, & ladders if needed. always bring a taller ladder than the owners recommend. i catch the main body of the swarm & put them in the vented bucket. i then set the nuc with several frames of old comb where the stragglers are hovering & put lemon grass oil in the nuc. if the swarm is close i'll leave the nuc there til dark. i do not charge for swarms but tell people that i will accept donations for gas. most folks will flip me a $20 dollar bill. i do charge for removals & trapouts. those fees vary with the job. i've captured 7 swarms so far this year & missed 3 ( they moved on before i got to them ).
I have found one of these indispensable for swarms that are up in a tree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFOvUmZTus (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MFOvUmZTus)
I pretty much just go after swarms with a bee brush and a styrofoam cooler
and some duct tape. I've kept bees all day in a styrofoam cooler without any
trouble.
Giving honey, no problem. It's the goofy homeowners that think that you are getting a gold mine in the shape of a swarm. "A friend of a friend keeps bees and told me that each hive is worth $700", neighbor at the last swarm call I got.