Swarm catching equip.

BlueBee · May 22, 2014, 04:52:51 PM

What are people using to catch swarms? I guess I've been lucky up to now, I've used a bucket on a stick for the ones in the trees and just a brush for the ones under 8' above ground. That's been pretty good for about 50 swarms. Today I was trying to catch a swarm that had landed in a bigger tree, about 18' up. My bucket on a stick didn't work this time because the branch was too big to shake and the bees were clustered in a vee.

So I taped a broom onto another stick and attempted to hold both the broom and the bucket 18' in the air. Ohhhhhh the rotator cuffs! With this setup I was able to knock a lot of the bees in the bucket, but a lot rained down on my head (was wearing a bee jacket) and they were not happy girls. They really started to get aggressive after I tried this about 4 times. Who knows, I might have squished the queen. Took a few stings to the wrists.

I don't know if I got the queen or not, half are still in the tree and half in a nuc. I've got to move onto the next problem of the day and will check on them this evening.

So my real question is: What works best for collecting swarms in trees when a bucket on a stick won't work? Would a bee vac (on a stick) be the tool of choice? (I don't own one at this point) Are their other creative ways to get them down?

Gary and Margaret - kiwimana · May 22, 2014, 05:38:34 PM

I have seen some people use a pillow case with a coat hanger on the end of a large stick.

They also have a rope to close the pillow case, I did make something like this last season but it all depends on the type of tree for it to work well. Bees don't generally pick a big branch with no leaves, well at least not in New Zealand :)

The other thing I have seen is an old water jug from one of those office water dispensers with the top cut off and a stick places in the smaller entrance. I have been looking for one of those containers for a while, but have yet to see one been thrown out.

Here some other thoughts about how we collect swarms Bee swarms – How to deal with them

See ya...Gary

Moots · May 22, 2014, 06:34:57 PM

I've never done it...But I have been told that a good option for high swarms is to get rope or string over the limb they are on, or one above it....Then run up a frame of brood. They say the bees will move to cover the brood and you just lower them down.

RHBee · May 22, 2014, 11:10:14 PM

Quote from: BlueBee on May 22, 2014, 04:52:51 PM
What are people using to catch swarms? So my real question is: What works best for collecting swarms in trees when a bucket on a stick won't work? Would a bee vac (on a stick) be the tool of choice? (I don't own one at this point) Are their other creative ways to get them down?

Hey Blue, Just how high are you talking? I made a bucket on a piece of conduit that I'm sure I could reach 25' w/o problem. I also made s cheap bee vac.

Joe D · May 22, 2014, 11:16:38 PM

I got a 3 gal water jug, cut out the bottom, and use PVC pipe joints to run it up.

Joe

BlueBee · May 23, 2014, 12:10:45 AM

Moots, I like your suggestion. Seems like it might work, at least in theory. I may give that a try the next time I find a swarm in an awkward location. There was a swarm in a great big picker bush (wild rose) last year that I couldn't get to either. I often use a frame of brood to anchor a swam in a nuc anyways.

RHBee, this swarm was only up 18' and my bucket on a pole WAS able to reach it. Height wasn't the problem in this case. The problem is the bees clustered around some big branches and I was not able to shake them into the bucket, or scoop them into the bucket. Electrical conduit is a good idea though!

Gary in NZ, I like the pillow case idea too. That would be lighter weight and easier to balance than a bucket on a stick, I would think.

MTWIBadger · May 25, 2014, 01:46:35 AM

I missed two swarms this week. One was 10 feet up and I shook the branch with the super under it. Half of the swarm missed the super that I was holding in one hand. Couldn't get the ladder directly under it. Missed the queen and watched the swarm fly off. I'm having my mother-in-law make me a long pillow with wide mouth supported by wire and a draw string to close it up quickly for the next swarm call.

Next miss was a 5# swarm 20+ feet up in a tree. Placed a super on a platform next to it and got about half of the bees in by hand. Couldn't reach the top part of the swarm because I was scared to go any higher.
Next morning the swarm was gone.

I think a bee vac would have been better for this one but I don't have one yet. Next time I'll try the frame of brood.

BlueBee · May 25, 2014, 02:32:20 AM

I sure hate to see those large swarms (5 or 6#ers) get away. :( Well, it turns out my troublesome swarm decided to move into my bait nuc (with a frame of brood) after all. I was only able to get about 40% of the bees with my bucket on a pole attempts. When I dumped them into the nuc they didn't really act like the queen was in there. I figured they would leave, go back up into the tree, and all fly away. Nope, either I did have the queen, or maybe the collective just didn't want to leave 40% of their sisters tending my brood bait. Makes me think Moots suggestion would work.

RHBee · May 25, 2014, 08:45:27 AM

Blue,
I'd rather be lucky than good any day. Congrats. At our BK Assoc meeting a professional beekeep had a large aluminum funnel with about a 4" aluminum pipe welded to it. He used it to collect swarms from high places. It looked robust enough to jar a pretty heavy limb. Couldn't have been inexpensive though. He just puts a box under the pipe and uses the funnel like a scoop. He said it works in trees or on structures.

BeeMaster2 · May 25, 2014, 09:10:01 AM

Blue,
I did use a bee vac on a swarm that was on the trunk of a tree 20' up. Used an 8' ladder, a long hose and a 10' PVC pipe taped on the end of the hose. Worked real well. Beeing almost 10' feet away from them, they did not know what was happening and stayed in a tight cluster. Also got the queen.
Jim

jayj200 · May 25, 2014, 10:46:03 AM

gets me to thinking
i am around pools lots
short pool wands strung together (blue poles) the 17 footers might work to a point.
what if it is higher
jay
PS. the cobweb brushes may help they are soft

Duane · May 25, 2014, 12:54:53 PM

I must be not fully understanding something here. I got or conceived of the idea that lemongrass oil works wonders. So I had the idea that for any swarm, high or low, all you need to do is put the box on the ground, add a few drops of lemongrass oil to it, and in one or two minutes the whole swarm in one big swoop would come down and into the hive with a few remaining on the outside of the box to spell out the words, "Thank you for our new home". Maybe you might have to wait up to five minutes for it....

I helped someone with catching a swarm once, and I wiped some lemongrass oil on the box, but no bees had investigated it by the time everything was ready and the people didn't want to take time to wait so they shook the swarm into the box. Has anyone had any luck with lemongrass oil bringing a clustered swarm into the box? Is that even how it is supposed to work? If it did work, seems it would sure beat climbing 25ft up in a tree.

marktrl · May 25, 2014, 04:30:48 PM

I just had the same problem a few days ago. A really small swarm about a frame of bees was about 30' up in an oak. Couldn't get 'em with swarm catcher on a pole (branch too thick and swarm too small) so I attached the long vacuum hose to the pole and sucked 'em up. Gave them a frame of pollen and honey with more bees from another hive today.