Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: D Semple on May 07, 2012, 01:55:24 pm
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Thought I'd pass on a little swarm catching trick of mine for new folks.
As long as safeties not an issue, I always try to talk folks out of getting rid of their bee trees, by educating them on the benefits of keeping them, and then I get them to watch them for me for swarms.
I've got a little one page flyer that explains swarms, when they occur, a couple photos to show what they look like, and most importantly who to call when they see one. I sweeten the deal when I hear about a new colony by giving folks a small jar of honey with the flyer and then promise a larger jar if they call me when they see them swarm.
Over half of the 30 or so swarms we have caught this last month have come from known beetrees or colonies in structures mined this way and quite a number are repeaters from last year. It's quickly become my favorite source for swarms.
If you new folks are not taking advantage of mining beetrees your missing a great opportunity for swarms.
(http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/DSemple/Bees%202011/Bees%202012/39d563b1.jpg)
Folks love to take part, I think it's a saving the world type thing.
Don
Some of our new swarm and removal photos: http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/DSemple/Bees%202011/Bees%202012/ (http://s269.photobucket.com/albums/jj72/DSemple/Bees%202011/Bees%202012/)
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Wow look at that! That is just beautiful. I am hoping we start getting some calls. Got some flyers and some cards with our names on it. Hoping to get at least one. It must be so exciting. Well at least I know I would be excited! :-D
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Beautiful! And great idea on the sample honey jar. :)
C&J
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Thats awesome! I did not think of doing this
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OOOOOHHH!!! Aren't you afraid you will be stung? :mrgreen: :lau:
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:-D
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post up your flyer in pdf format! :-D
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Swarms are absolutely amazing.
Is it true that there can be more then one queen in a swarm cluster?
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Is it true that there can be more then one queen in a swarm cluster?
Check out this vid that Schawee posted a while back.
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,36582.0.html (http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,36582.0.html)
I too would like to see the flyer you hand out. :-D
James
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OOOOOHHH!!! Aren't you afraid you will be stung? :mrgreen: :lau:
I chickened out and put gloves on, that swarm was large, hard to get to, and had been stuck out overnight.
I figure beekeepers who never wear protection are really just folk who get off on S&M but have gotten to old for sex. :-D
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Swarm flyer:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FcLyAfcj3YHn1CbjY_TDkEe4qe3l0m3OVx7DcUjiOWE/edit