Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: gdog on July 05, 2013, 04:37:46 pm
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I have a swarm to pick up this evening and it is very large (long) its about 1 foot by 2 1/2 feet horizontally positioned on a branch, guessing 6 pounds of bees biggest I have seen to date. Any thoughts on how I can get them into a box without bees everywhere? Was thinking just hit the branch and have them fall where they may but too many would be flying around after that. want this to be quick and painless. May a makeshift funnel with a tarp?
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before you knock them down spray them lightly with sugar water it will prevent to many fliers
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If the queen goes in on the first drop, many will go to her. If they go back to the branch, you did not get the queen. (Give it several min. to watch and as what is happening. My biggest collection was just over 5# and took about 30 min. to have them all go in the collection box. Six pounds is a gift. As thatguy324 suggested, spray lightly with sugar water. It can be done without but I find it easier to spray first but very lightly (you want them to be able to fly which they can not if you over spray them. My 2 cents. -Mike
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Look in the Honey Bee removal section. There are lots of videos on how to remove them.
Jim
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All went OK got a majority of them in a large Tupperware bin due to the length of the swarm a second shake to get the remaining into a large frame super. Did the combination of the two at home all went good. The swarm is so big I have to go back now to get the reaming several thousand still left the area looked Loki a bee yard with all the bees returning to the spot this was definitely a six pound swarm it was the size of two of the three pound packages and then some I have a picture not sure if I can post it because I'm too new?
The sugar water helped. Had a very bad experience last week with sugar water don't want to talk about it
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Went and picked up the remaining swarm about the size of a cantaloupe nice addition to the rest and there are still more will check tomorrow to see what's left the rest may just take off Best swarm of 2013 6 plus pounds!
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(http://s8.postimg.org/pg54ce2gh/DSC_0060.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/pg54ce2gh/)
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nice pic think they are feral or think they came off somebodies hive?
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Not exactly sure they are darker than the bees I have. They are also aggressive even though they were in swarm mode. But there were sure a lot which made it a nice catch.
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July 8, 2013
The swarm I picked up is doing an awesome job I used two large supers to house them because of their numbers. They have already filled every frame with comb as well as honey in the comb, not totally full but a lot for only three days. This maybe a fast producing hive in the future will check back on them in a month the queen is there and they are happy in their new home. :police:
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Sounds like it needs a super.
Jim
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That could be a possibility with how far they have come in such a short time. The reason I would be checking on them in a month was to let the queen relax and start laying and see what kind of pattern she is putting down and the overall health of the hive. I have been leaving the hives alone this year (less than last year) and let them do what bees do. That's been my strategy this year and its been working well.
hope it continues
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A swarm that big in Wisconsin?! You probably will not see another like that the rest of your life. Good catch.
JC