Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: tjc1 on July 03, 2013, 12:23:20 am

Title: Tidy little swarm
Post by: tjc1 on July 03, 2013, 12:23:20 am
Easy to catch, a foot off the ground - my first. I felt afterwards that I could have done it in shorts and a teeshirt, without gloves - they were completely docile!


(http://s17.postimg.org/y7llv43hn/School_swarm_7_2_13.jpg) (http://postimg.org/image/y7llv43hn/)
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: Joe D on July 03, 2013, 12:45:12 am
And sometimes you can.  I have had some swarms 15 to 20 ft up a tree that didn't all get in the super or box on first try.  After messing with them for a little they may get upset.  Good going on your first.




Joe
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: BlueBee on July 03, 2013, 02:50:01 am
Don't believe the old wives tale that swarms don't sting.  :-D

I caught a couple of swarms the other day.  One was about the size of a golf ball!  I dumped them into a nuc with a couple frames of brood and some nurse bees.  It will be interesting to see if they make it as a colony. 
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: capt44 on July 04, 2013, 12:47:11 am
Last year I caught a small swarm, about the size of a baseball.
I put them in a 5 frame nuc with some brood and eggs.
In late September I put them in a 8 frame hive.
I babied those gals and this spring had a very strong colony of bees.
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: JPinMO on July 04, 2013, 01:55:43 am
tjc1, did you brush them or use a bee vac? Or use the JP method -- stick your hand in there and scoop them into a box?
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: Tightwad on July 04, 2013, 08:58:10 am
I'm a new bee and i can't what to get my First   swarm. I just  ordered new 8 frame  box's to have on Han I have called members in my bee club twice to remove swarms from two of my Co stores. I'm looking forward to getting my First  one. 
Title: Re: Tidy little swarm
Post by: tjc1 on July 04, 2013, 07:18:14 pm
tjc1, did you brush them or use a bee vac? Or use the JP method -- stick your hand in there and scoop them into a box?

I just gently scooped off clumps with the hive tool and my (gloved) hand - I could feel the heat thru the glove! Then I just shook them off into the box - no flying, no agitation. Was a bit nervous about how that would go, being my first swarm, but it was as easy as pie (lucky me).