How to Catch a Swarm

Swarms & Bee Catching
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Hey everyone,

I recently wrote a post on my blog about how to catch a swarm. It also includes a video of me catching one with my bare hands, which is pretty fun although maybe not recommended for beginners! http://beekeepinglikeagirl.com/how-to-catch-a-swarm-of-bees/

Enjoy.

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Nice shots of the queen in her new hive in that video, Hilary. Thanks for sharing! Looks like you had an old frame in that box - using old comb as a lure?

Dawn

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If you put your bare hand inside a swarm it feels like a warm furry animal :slight_smile:

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Yes, used equipment and especially empty comb make great lures for swarms. There’s another post on my blog about how to lure a swarm of bees.

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have a look here.


Tom Seeley explains how bees decide where to live.
You can see how scouts investigate a cavity and how they communicate what they find and recruit the rest of the swarm. Good stuff
My bait boxes are 40 litres with a couple of smaller ones which are good at catching casts.
They are all painted inside with propolis. They have a starter strip frame against the far end and an old brood frame next to this. The entrance is a round hole about an inch in diameter. The top bars and entrance are anointed with lemon grass oil. I put them on shed roofs etc. The never fail :slight_smile: