lemongrass oil lures them into a box!

[enchplant]

Here is a video I made today of a messy, diffuse swarm that I could never have swept up, getting lured into a box with lemongrass oil.


Catch the queen by HAND

[GeezzzBeezzz]

How do I make one of those boxes in the event I run into a swarm?
What's on the inside?

[enchplant]

The box is just a waxed cardboard nuc box which you can buy from any of the bee supply houses ( Dadant , Mann Lake etc.). Of course you can use any sort of cardboard box as long as it has a lid and just one way in. A cardboard box used for office files would do fine. It is just to take them home. I placed a couple of frames of foundation in so that tomorrow when I transfer them to a hive box at my house it will be much easier. If you have frames with drawn comb it is even better.

[annette]

I really enjoyed that video. So some poor beekeeper lost part of his hive!! (the marked queen).

[ShaneJ]

Great video mate. Did you mark the queen? Or did she come premarked? :)

[BlevinsBees]

Nice work. You definitely got some nearby beekeepers bees. I always carry a queen clip in my top pocket that makes it easier and safer to pick the queen up and put her in the box.

[GeezzzBeezzz]

Thanks for the info and the great video. I'm going to get one just in case.  Just like Annette said 'some poor beekeeper lost part of his hive'. Hope this doesn't happen to me this year ... the bees leaving that is, I wouldn't mind catching a swarm at all.

[AllenF]

Good video.    Nice find with that queen.   Good thing she did not get stepped on.

[Country Heart]

Maybe someday instead of just marking the queen they will microchip her.  I think it would be very cool to be able to track the swarming patterns of colonies.  Of course in this case it might allow the unfortunate beekeeper to retrieve his wayward girls.