How to Catch a Swarm of Bees – Something I didn’t want to do
This past summer, we had a big honey bee mishap on our hands that had to be dealt with immediately. At the time, I was busy enough that I never posted a detail about what went on and how it is dealt with, basically, how to catch a swarm of bees.
I only had enough time to do a quick Instagram video at that time. I figured now would be a good time before things get super busy again here on the farm.
The Situation
Last Summer, approximately midmorning, after I had already been working in the garden for hours, I sat down for a moment, drenched in sweat and covered in dirt. I just wanted a moment to catch my breath.
Then I saw it.
I had no idea what it was for a second, but I saw it. It turned out to be a giant swarm of bees (my bees) coming at me!
So I took off running…
Don’t judge me. I can fight….but not a swarm of bees.
Once I pulled myself together and caught my breath, I had to jump into action to catch them before they escaped completely.
The Typical Behavior of Bees
Typically, when bees swarm, they first find a nearby landing spot. Their first spot is just a place to hold up temporarily while they determine where their new home is going to be. There is a limited amount of time to capture them at that point.
I had recently ordered and received some new equipment to add to my hive, but had not yet put it together. (my bad) Sadly, it would have taken too long to build it so I had to resort to one of my old hive bodies.
The bees, luckily for me, had decided to take a breather on the end of my veggie washing station. That choice made my job a great deal easier.
How to Catch a Swarm of Bees – The Capture
As you see in the How to Catch a Swarm of Bees video, I placed the hive body under the mass of bees at the end of the veggie washing station and removed the lid. I then went around to the other side, picked up the end of the table, and shook the bees off and into the hive body.
That part is never hard. The main point here is making sure, and hoping really, that you also get the queen. If the queen falls into the hive, then the rest of the bees will make their way into it with her. If not, you have to regroup and get her in there.
I sat there for a while, watching their behavior. Luckily for me, they all started going in. Once most of them were inside, I moved the hive body back to our beekeeping area.
How to Catch a Swarm of Bees – Lesson Learned
The lesson for me to learn here is to keep a closer eye on my hives. If I had been paying closer attention, I would have seen that they were overcrowded and ready to bust out. Life is a learning process…
DON’T MISS ANYTHING!!
You may also enjoy DIY Farm Projects – Awe-Inspiring Skills You Need to Love , How to Build a Beautiful and Fruitful Mobile Farm Stand or 9 Gardening Tips – Getting Started *Great Success for more great related information.
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