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BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: CapnChkn on January 05, 2011, 05:48:35 pm

Title: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on January 05, 2011, 05:48:35 pm
I was at the local beekeeping meeting, and one of the members told me how to get on the swarm collection list.  I know it's way early to be catching them but I suppose the wrong time to find out what I need, is going to be when I am trying to catch the cluster.

I know I'm going to need a container of some kind, from a cardboard box to a wooden container with queen excluder entrance, screened ventilation, and doors to slide in place when night falls.  I will also need a sprayer to hold sugar water, and possibly a smoker.

Anybody have any other suggestions?
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: AllenF on January 05, 2011, 06:00:18 pm
A hive or a cardboard box and a video camera will work for most swarms if they are not very high, then you need to add a ladder to the list.

But then for those few hard ones, carry everything you got.   Smoker, bee quick, sheet, flashlight, bee suit, honey, lemongrass oil, saw, pruners, axe.   I could go on and on.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on January 05, 2011, 06:22:44 pm
Um...

Video Camera?  I know they're all Girls, but I've never know a bee to bee that vain.  Should I make the Bee Box look like a stage? :-D

I do have a digital camera and a tripod.  I'll have to remember to grab it, so...
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: AllenF on January 05, 2011, 06:58:38 pm
To show everybody here the swarm you caught.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: marksmith on January 05, 2011, 07:10:06 pm
My swarm box carries a smoker (always have a smoker on hand with bees... rarely light it when collecting swarms)

So..

Smoker
Small hand pruners
Brush
Queen clip
6' step ladder goes with
Veil
Hive tool
Hammer
Sheet
Small bow saw

Usually use a single deep with 2 frames old comb and the rest foundationless new frames.  I almost always find the queen and capture her until they are moved to their new location. Next morning I turn her loose to bee as she wishes.  Out of 23 swarms last year I didn't capture the queen in on one swarm.  So far (knock on wood) I have never had a swarm abscond their new home.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: BBees on January 05, 2011, 07:44:39 pm
Mark,
Tips on finding the queen in a swarm? I've never found a queen. Just went on the assumption if the bees all went in the box after I knocked a swarm in into it she was in the box. Like the idea of finding and catching her better.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on January 05, 2011, 10:56:20 pm
Alright!  I can understand a lot of the uses of the kit, but the Hammer?  I assume that's for tacking a cover on the box?

Like I say AllenF, I will have to remember to grab that camera, I can't leave that out in the shed with the kit.

Here's what I have:

I will add a queen cage, honey, and brush.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Kathyp on January 05, 2011, 11:36:18 pm
hive staples or strap to keep it all together.  i like using screened bottom boards because i can close things up well and not worry about ventilation.  i close the front with an entrance reducer turned so that there is no opening and then duct tape it in place.

duct tape!!!!!
tarp
pole pruner
hand pruner
ladder

i have added bee quick this year.  had a queenless(virgin) late swarm start building in a tree and could not get them to stop congregating in the thing.  longest and most frustrating swarm catch ever.

look in the removal section.  seems to me there was a list there somewhere.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 06, 2011, 04:16:08 am
I've gotten kind of fond of some queen juice, two mediums of old comb, a cover, a bottom, some lemongrass oil, a Q-tip and some duct tape.

Set the boxes on the bottom.  Dip one end of the Q-tip in the queen juice (old queens stewing in alcohol) and the other end in the lemon grass oil.  Drop into the hive.  Put the lid on.  Come back after dark and take them home.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: lenape13 on January 06, 2011, 07:02:56 am
Swarm catching made easy....

1.)  Phone

2.)  A supply of milk shakes.


To catch a swarm, simply call JP and Schawee.  Inform them there's a swarm of bees and several milk shakes to be had, and stand clear....
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: bud1 on January 06, 2011, 07:35:03 am
i also keep a pole and bucket with a jerk top in my truck good up to about 25ft
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on January 06, 2011, 09:17:46 pm
KathyP Ma'am, I have looked all over this forum and I cannot find anything at all about a "removal section."  I will add Duct tape to the list.

Mr. Bush, that sounds like my kind of thinking, and of course just starting out I have no Queen Juice.  I will have to get that in action sometime!  It really started me thinking of the type of people who are attracted to this pastime, part science, part magic!
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: JP on January 06, 2011, 09:23:45 pm
KathyP Ma'am, I have looked all over this forum and I cannot find anything at all about a "removal section."  I will add Duct tape to the list.

Mr. Bush, that sounds like my kind of thinking, and of course just starting out I have no Queen Juice.  I will have to get that in action sometime!  It really started me thinking of the type of people who are attracted to this pastime, part science, part magic!

Here you go man: http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,13767.0.html (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,13767.0.html)


...JP
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 07, 2011, 01:27:27 am
>Mr. Bush, that sounds like my kind of thinking, and of course just starting out I have no Queen Juice.  I will have to get that in action sometime!

The next best thing is "Bee Boost" which Mann Lake stocked last I looked.  It's artificial QMP but it works fine.

>  It really started me thinking of the type of people who are attracted to this pastime, part science, part magic!

People certainly think so when you do the bait hive with queen juice and lemongrass oil and they watch them move right in...
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: BRAGADOCCIO on January 07, 2011, 11:42:41 am
Mr. Bush, Will the Bee Boost and Lemon Grass oil trick lure them out of a tree or just when they are swarming in the air? If they are on a branch, how close does the "box" have to be?
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Tommyt on January 07, 2011, 12:15:50 pm
Mr. Bush, Will the Bee Boost and Lemon Grass oil trick lure them out of a tree or just when they are swarming in the air? If they are on a branch, how close does the "box" have to be?
BRAGADOCCIO
 Welcome to Bee master M Bush is one of the very best Keepers on BeeMaster. IMHO
so I won't answer for him. I would also say looking at his web page will give you tons of bee info
 What I will say if you are trying to completely remove a colony from a tree you need to look in the bee removal
section here on BeeMaster
 There is a member named Idee I may have spelled his name wrong but you'll see it
Idee has a complete guide on how to do a Trap out
You will also find his posts if you do a search here on BeeMas for Trap-Out then you'll see his name
look it up  Its all laid out and his method works
I used it for my first ever contact with bees and I know own the Hive and the tree is empty

Good Luck
Tommyt
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: danno on January 07, 2011, 02:52:58 pm
Bucket with a broom handle female thread on the bottom is always handy.     I have used the bucket without any handle for anything up to 8 ft high.   I have threaded in a 5 ft broom handle for anything up to 12 ft and with the longest telescoping handle used for paint rollers I can shake a swarm up to 30 feet off the ground.  I made my own and added several vent holes screened with #8 wire.   Here is a link to what I'm talking about
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Hipps-Swarm-Retriever/productinfo/270/ (http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/Hipps-Swarm-Retriever/productinfo/270/)
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 08, 2011, 04:02:38 am
>Mr. Bush, Will the Bee Boost and Lemon Grass oil trick lure them out of a tree

Any try at getting a swarm is not a sure thing.  But it works most of the time, especially if they haven't picked a spot already.

> or just when they are swarming in the air?

I have set up bait hives this way, but as far as swarm calls, I've only used it when the swarm was hanging in the tree.

>If they are on a branch, how close does the "box" have to be?

It really doesn't matter much.  They will be searching the area for a good place to live and the smells will attract them quite quickly.  The two smells they are already keyed in on are the queen (QMP) and the cluster (nasonov aka the smell of lemongrasss essential oil).  I usually set it pretty close to make sure them find it, but I'll bet I could put it 1/4 mile away and they would still find it.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on January 08, 2011, 07:20:05 pm
Thank you JP.  I feel like a dummy now, I didn't check the sub forum list.  It looks as if I have a lot of reading to do.  And a lot of thinking.

Danno, I'm thinking I may be getting these bees on a bicycle, but I'm also thinking the 5 gallon bucket would make a good swarm cage.  Two questions though:

I've been following this practice with a "bootstrap" mentality, I suppose I should get out of this limiting box.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: danno on January 10, 2011, 09:11:11 am
Thank you JP.  I feel like a dummy now, I didn't check the sub forum list.  It looks as if I have a lot of reading to do.  And a lot of thinking.

Danno, I'm thinking I may be getting these bees on a bicycle, but I'm also thinking the 5 gallon bucket would make a good swarm cage.  Two questions though:
  • How do you thread the handle to the bottom of the container?  My second guess is to attach it to the side.
  • How much weight does this contraption hold?

I've been following this practice with a "bootstrap" mentality, I suppose I should get out of this limiting box.
I cut a disk of plywood alittle smaller than the bottom of the bucket.   I cut about 1" off the end of a wood handled paint roller.   These have the threads needed.  This I glued in a predrilled hole in the disk.  I then just used bolts and washers to attach the bottom of the bucket.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: AllenF on January 10, 2011, 12:03:11 pm
Nobody has mentioned to remember the .22 pistol to bring in the swarm.    :-D
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Acebird on January 15, 2011, 07:35:12 pm
Quote
It really doesn't matter much.  They will be searching the area for a good place to live and the smells will attract them quite quickly.  The two smells they are already keyed in on are the queen (QMP) and the cluster (nasonov aka the smell of lemongrasss essential oil).  I usually set it pretty close to make sure them find it, but I'll bet I could put it 1/4 mile away and they would still find it.

What doesn't make sense to me is why would the swarm be attracted to the QPM when they already have a queen.  Wouldn't the queen in the swarm see it as competition?
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Tommyt on January 15, 2011, 10:33:25 pm

What doesn't make sense to me is why would the swarm be attracted to the QPM when they already have a queen.  Wouldn't the queen in the swarm see it as competition?

attract
Isn't that what you trying to do :?
 
doesn't matter whats there as long as they
show up, and like what they find or don't find 
just as long as they like the new Housing
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 15, 2011, 11:01:33 pm
>What doesn't make sense to me is why would the swarm be attracted to the QPM when they already have a queen.  Wouldn't the queen in the swarm see it as competition?

Apparently the bees don't care if it makes sense to you...
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Acebird on January 16, 2011, 09:18:30 am
Quote
Apparently the bees don't care if it makes sense to you...

I think we are all in agreement there but I would like to understand their thinking or habits better.  It is just the way I am.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Michael Bush on January 16, 2011, 09:51:46 am
The bees can't tell one queen from another (contrary to the books).  If you don't believe this, read Brother Adams books.  They can tell the quality of a queen, e.g. they can tell a queen who is actively laying from one that has been in a cage a few days to a few weeks and if they believe they still have that actively laying queen they will reject a queen who is less.  But basically they are always attracted to QMP.  If I leave a bait hive in my beeyard I often find a small cluster of bees on the QMP.  They are apparently just field bees who were attracted to it.  Bees in a swarm can zero in on QMP and are very focused on it.   If you put a queen in a cage near a swarm it will gather a swarm around it from the other swarm fairly quickly.  If you take the queen out of a swarm, cage her, and put her in a tree several hundred yards away, they will find her fairly quickly and move there.  The two things they are focused on are QMP and Nasanov.  That's what keeps them toegher and with the queen.  That's what you have in the box...
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: asprince on January 16, 2011, 09:25:53 pm
Unless they are low hanging, I hive most swarms with my Robo bee vac. I can get nearly every bee and not have to come back after dark and get the hive. It is very fast and effective. I have tube extensions for the high ones.

Steve


Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on April 14, 2011, 12:08:49 pm
Well folks, I collected my first swarm.  Sorry no video.  I couldn't keep that in the truck, and I said I would have to remember it...

OW!  As you may have guessed I got some of the equipment together, put it where I would belong, and then spent all winter/spring making sure I "got it back in the truck."  I was at the point I didn't expect a call, but yesterday I did.  The man on the phone said they were in a bush about "hip high."  I guess I couldn't have asked for anything easier.

Pulled out a deep with top and bottom board, looked at the swarm, it was that.  It was about hip high in his landscaping 3 feet from the curb.  There was a chick rollerblading up and down, seemingly unconcerned as to the activity going on here, they bees had started building comb on that branch.

I sprayed them with sugar water, and tried to shake them, I didn't want to cut up his bush, they didn't fall very well.  I guess there was about a quart of those bees.  I put on my Cloth gloves, if you see where I'm getting at, and tried to scoop them off and drop them in the box JP style.  I got stung 6 times, nice gentle bees but they dint lak thet.

I had the hive underneath and shook the heck out of his bush, leaves and twigs were scattered all over.  But I suppose it coerced the queen into the box, they came out and started fanning so I replaced the frames and lid.  It took about an hour, but they vacated the branch while I licked my wounds and grumbled.  The Gentleman was fairly interested in the process, talked about what was going on, was surprised that I didn't smoke them.

Bees are now at the farm with sugar and water and a nice old hive body to remodel and make into home.  I am leaving them alone to get settled.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: BlueBee on April 14, 2011, 11:12:23 pm
Congratulations on the swarm catch CapnChkn!

Maybe the trick to scooping up bees is to go gloveless like JP and Schawee  :-D
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: buzzbee on April 14, 2011, 11:34:40 pm
Way to go capnChkn! Aint it just as  exciting as it gets!!
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: forrestcav on April 15, 2011, 12:29:25 am
congrats CapnChkn. Hopefully those boro bees don't have the attitude as some of the people that live there. I'm about 30 miles south of you and hate driviing in that town. I'm kinda hoping tofollow your lead and capture some swarms myself.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: CapnChkn on April 15, 2011, 12:59:34 am
Thank you all.  I know it's not that big a deal, but it does feel good to have them loverly bees back where they belong.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: GWDawg1 on April 24, 2011, 09:07:35 am
I'm not man enough yet to go gloveless like JP and Schawee.  Maybe someday.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: jgaito on April 25, 2011, 10:59:42 am
well you guys have certainly done this more than i have.   i had a swarm yesterday and lost it.   i heard them and walked over to the hive to see them gathering on a branch in a pine tree about thirty feet up.   so here i am with a bucket trap and vac waiting to make their maiden voyage and it ain't gonna happen.   i called my nuc supplier to see if he wanted to take a crack at them.  in the meantime i went to the office to pick up my two deeps and frames just incase i needed them.  with the guy on his way my good old GM side terminal cable decides i need some time off.  anyway. i get back and he and my wife are manipulating a rope over the branch to hoist up a bucket with some brood frame in it but they couldn't get a good branch.   i went into the house to get my dummy launcher but by the time we got another rope up they decided to haul butt.   if i knew about this bucket / frame method i may have been able to get them.   anyone use this method ?   anything better to use as a lure ?    all in all, i enjoyed watching my first swarm.  amazing creatures.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: G3farms on April 25, 2011, 10:00:44 pm
you can use a frame of just foundation (drawn comb does work better) and place it next to the swarm and in a few minutes they will march over onto it. If you have the time you can get a whole swam this way if thy are in a hard to reach place such as a bend of a tree.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Eve V on April 30, 2011, 01:31:32 pm
A friend of mine collected a swarm by throwing a weighted rope over the branch in which the swarm hung.
Then we jerked the rope and dislodged the swarm onto a tarp, they walked into a swarm box which had pheronome inside- worked well, except we forgot to calculate we were jerking at an angle, so the swarm dropped not exactly where we planned.
Title: Re: Swarm collection Equipment?
Post by: Jim134 on April 30, 2011, 04:11:41 pm
you can use a frame of just foundation (drawn comb does work better) and place it next to the swarm and in a few minutes they will march over onto it. If you have the time you can get a whole swam this way if thy are in a hard to reach place such as a bend of a tree.

If you use a frame (comb) of unsealed brood it will work better just my $0.02


   BEE HAPPY Jim 134  :)