Swarming- bees fill up on honey
- old queen and half of bees leave, settle nearby, send out scouts
- usually mid to late morning (can be early afternoon)
- may stay 30 minutes to 3 days
Catching swarm
- Find them while they are clustered
--depends on luck
--may be there a few minutes to a day
--often in an inaccessible location
- Shake bees or cut branch if in tree or bush
- bump or brush them if on solid object
- bee vac, box, bucket on stick
*most bees will stay with queen, some will return to swarm location
A good bait hive:
– about 10-15 feet above ground
– in a shady area, but visible to bees
– entrance size 1-1/2” - 2” square inches
– 1.4 cubic feet (40 liters) – about the size of a 10 frame deep
– dry, weather-tight
– should smell like an old hive; avoid new lumber and paint
Note: shape of entrance, direction entrance faces, and shape of box do not matter to the bees
If you catch swarm
-- leave there (don't open for at least 1 week) to let it get established before moving to your apiary
-- remove frames from bait trap and put in regular hive, and return trap to same location
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