Swarm tanging

[buzzbee]

Lets start a study to see how many swarms we can tang in this season. Every time you get one to land this way,post it.

[iddee]

3 yesterday, in one apiary. Got all 3 to land within 30 feet of the hive it left, at head height. Owner of apiary said all previous swarms had landed too high in the trees to get. He had never tanged.

[hardwood]

I've never tried but I'm fascinated by it! What did you use to tang iddee? Big pot and wooden spoon?

Scott

[manfre]

What is swarm tanging?

[joker1656]

Yeah???  That was gonna be my question too.

[iddee]

Years ago, Grandmas everywhere kept a large wooden spoon on the back porch next to the dishpan. When a hive swarmed, she would grab them and stand in the yard banging on the dishpan like a drum until the swarm landed. Anything can be used, as long as it makes a drum like noise. I used my hand on an empty cardboard nuc yesterday. That's all I had handy.

It was known as tanging, or drumming. Now there is another motion that has been dubbed drumming, so most call swarm calling tanging now.

[troutstalker2]

   I thought it was something astronauts did.

[AllenF]

Let's see some videos in action of this.  I would love to see it.

[annette]

OH this is good stuff!! :shock: :shock: :shock:

[JP]

Well you know I watched Bud Tang, Macon Mississippi style!  :lau:


...JP

[Cheryl]

This is very interesting! I will be following this topic! :D

What is it about the drumming that makes the bees land?? Sound? vibration? Pattern-interrupt?

[MacfromNS]

This is a interesting read:

http://www.britishbee.org.uk/articles/collecting_swarms.php

[buzzbee]

It appears Schawee landed one. Jim 134 was kind enough to remind of of this thread so I will post Schawees tanging thread here.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,33782.0.html

[hankdog1]

I have used it in the past at the house go out and got a old filing cabnet laying out beside the driveway that i beat on.  Don't know if it works or not but they always land nearby.  So can't say it don't neigther.  Probably done 3 or 4 that way.

[schawee]

DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THIS POST,THANKS FOR POSTING IT HERE KEN.THIS SWARM SWARMED ON ME AGAIN WHEN I RELEASED THE QUEEN AND CHASED THEM AROUND THE PARK BY MY HOUSE AND THEY WOULDN'T LAND.WHEN THEY TURNED BACK TO THE HOUSE AFTER 30 MIN.OF CHASING THEM IT  FINELY ENDED.I GOT  MY BUCKET AND STICK AND GOT THEM TO LAND IN MY ORANGE TREE IN ABOUT 3 MIN.           .SCHAWEE..

[Brian D. Bray]

This is very interesting! I will be following this topic! :D

What is it about the drumming that makes the bees land?? Sound? vibration? Pattern-interrupt?

Tanging: (n) The beating of a pot or utensil in order to induce a swarm of bees to land nearby.

The rhythm should be in cadence.  The louder the better.  The purpose is to fool the bees into thinking a thunderstorm is underway so that the will quickly land low to the ground.  The bees will land low because a thunderstorm can raise havoc on a swarm high up.  Having a method of spraying some water at the swarm improves the odds of the swarm landing.

Just beating on a pot with a wooden or metal spoon won't work, it is the rhythm that does it.  Loud clashing noise at the rate of about once every 2-3 seconds is best, that indicates a nearby thunderstorm.  So, all together now, bang, thousand 1, thousand 2, thousand 3, bang......

I've used this whenever I've been near the apiary when a hive swarmed.  I loose about 1 out of every 5 swarms, the other 4 land quickly, usually on the lower branch of a fruit tree in the orchard (where the apiary is) but I've had them land at the base of a shrub and all I had to do was put the hive down in front of them and watch them walk in.