Easiest Swarm Catch Ever

The15thMember · April 24, 2023, 09:25:05 PM

As some of you may know, I have an extremely small tree just across my property line that all my swarms usually land on. I'm always grateful that my swarm tree is so convenient, but today I had a swarm that got even more convenient. We have this weird old shelving unit at the top of the steps up to my bee yard, which I have some wood on which I have drilled for native bee nests. There is a slice of wood sitting on the top of the shelf that is too thin to drill (it would only be thick enough for one or two nest chambers), and due to laziness, I just left it there. Well today, I had a swarm land on this slice of wood. It was the easiest swarm catch ever, I just picked up the wood, shook and brushed the bees into a hive, took it back and let the stragglers land, then brushed them in, done. I didn't need a second set of hands or a suit, and the whole thing start to finish, including getting the equipment set up, took only a half hour.

gww · April 24, 2023, 10:04:32 PM

Kool, I brought this home today.
Cheers
gww

Ben Framed · April 24, 2023, 11:44:12 PM

That was a nice set up Reagan. If you put it back, who knows history may repeat!

Phillip

Ben Framed · April 24, 2023, 11:45:13 PM

Quote from: gww on April 24, 2023, 10:04:32 PM
Kool, I brought this home today.
Cheers
gww

Was it full of bees gww?

gww · April 25, 2023, 12:21:40 AM

Ben
I don't know how full it is yet. May transfer to a permanent hive tomorrow depending on weather. It was the most scouts I ever seen but not very loud when I put my ear to it. I got a feeling not too big. But, I have brought empty boxes home before. I think they are in there. If you pick them up right before dark, it is easier to tell cause you will have a train coming in right before dark but it was cool today and even my big hives were already in and so only one or two here or there flying in right before dark.
Cheers
gww

Ben Framed · April 25, 2023, 01:16:21 AM

gww I had a bunch of bees coming and going into an empty box a few days ago. I thought they were there to stay but at night they were not to be found, just a day or so the whole swarm landed and went inside. By the heavy activity I had been witnessing, I would have though for sure they were already there but.. they were only scouting HEAVLY as Michale Bush described a few days ago to someone else. I don't know, but you might wait a little longer before you move the box? Good luck I wish you success in this!!

Phillip

PS It was a BIG swarm..

gww · April 25, 2023, 01:24:10 AM

Box is moved. I admit to being fooled before. I think they are there but another box is where this one came from and it will be what it will be. I am not a big worrier. Don't get me wrong, I get excited when I catch stuff though. I may know more tomorrow though.
Cheers
gww

Ben Framed · April 25, 2023, 01:27:16 AM

Quote from: gww on April 25, 2023, 01:24:10 AM
Box is moved. I admit to being fooled before. I think they are there but another box is where this one came from and it will be what it will be. I am not a big worrier. Don't get me wrong, I get excited when I catch stuff though. I may know more tomorrow though.
Cheers
gww

Good, it sounds like you covered your bases. I hope you either have them now or will soon get them.

> Don't get me wrong, I get excited when I catch stuff though.

Me too! Let us know how it works out.

Phillip

BeeMaster2 · April 25, 2023, 09:12:56 AM

I set up a large swarm trap in my barn right after BeeFest. 2 days later I saw what I thought was scout bees, lots of them at the entrance. They looked like scout bees, no pollen going in. I lifted the lid to see how many scouts were in there and it was packed with bees. It was a huge swarm. Filled a deep and a half of a medium with new comb in a week. I added a drawn medium super on top and they are filling it.
Bees will fool you. Sometimes in a good way.
Jim Altmiller

Acebird · April 25, 2023, 09:26:36 AM

Congratulation member.
Like Jim the easiest catch is when they just fly into some unused equipment. However down here who the queen mates with can turn a gift into a nightmare.

gww · April 25, 2023, 03:04:23 PM

The15th.....
I hope I am sharing excitement of mine and yours and not stealing your thread.

I am guessing between softball and volley ball but hard to tell as they were spread out and not in a cluster.
Cheers
gww

The15thMember · April 25, 2023, 03:45:56 PM

Quote from: gww on April 25, 2023, 03:04:23 PM
The15th.....
I hope I am sharing excitement of mine and yours and not stealing your thread.

I am guessing between softball and volley ball but hard to tell as they were spread out and not in a cluster.
Cheers
gww

No, not at all, please share!

Mine are still in the box today. I usually give a swarm a frame of brood, but I didn't have time yesterday, but they don't seem to mind.

Bob Wilson · April 25, 2023, 07:03:19 PM

Yes, bees can fool us.
I caught a swarm a few weeks ago, which showed a LOT of activity when I saw it. The next day, early, I closed it up, but saw nothing. I lowered it down, with not a sound from inside. Thinking it absconded, I knocked it on the ground. Silence, except for a couple of lost scouts.
But a home 15 minutes later, I found a large swarm inside.

Michael Bush · April 26, 2023, 06:38:17 AM

The easiest swarm catch "ever" is when they move in on their own. You come out to the beeyard and that stack of empty boxes has bees in it...

gww · April 26, 2023, 10:23:57 AM

Michael

QuoteThe easiest swarm catch "ever" is when they move in on their own.

Got that yesterday into a dead out. Don't know yet if it was the swarm I hived moving or a different one and so don't know it I have one or two yet. Didn't feel like opening the one I hived one more time in the same day to find out.
Cheers
gww

Ben Framed · April 26, 2023, 11:22:28 AM

Well at least you have one, and maybe two. Congratulations!

Phillip

The15thMember · April 26, 2023, 11:34:31 AM

Quote from: Acebird on April 25, 2023, 09:26:36 AM
Congratulation member.
Like Jim the easiest catch is when they just fly into some unused equipment. However down here who the queen mates with can turn a gift into a nightmare.

Quote from: Michael Bush on April 26, 2023, 06:38:17 AM
The easiest swarm catch "ever" is when they move in on their own. You come out to the beeyard and that stack of empty boxes has bees in it...

I suppose I should have said "MY easiest swarm catch ever".

Bob Wilson · April 26, 2023, 05:38:10 PM

Lol. That was how I got into bees in the first place. They ignored my swarm traps and moved straight into my first hive, sitting in my backyard.

Ben Framed · April 27, 2023, 03:34:12 PM

Quote from: Bob Wilson on April 26, 2023, 05:38:10 PM
Lol. That was how I got into bees in the first place. They ignored my swarm traps and moved straight into my first hive, sitting in my backyard.

Now that was a blessing! Was there other beekeepers close to your set up, or maybe a feral hive that you might have suspected might of being their origin?

Phillip

Bob Wilson · April 27, 2023, 11:40:08 PM

I suspect that first swarm came from another apiary, although I don't know where.
Those bees were larger and yellow.
In the last 5 years of multiplying my colonies and using foundationless, natural size cell, all my bees have changed to smaller, grayer bees.