BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER > HONEYBEE REMOVAL

Swarm removal

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Occam:
Mentioned collecting a swarm in another thread, thought I'd post it here. I got the call yesterday, another beek that didn't have room for another swarm passed my number along. I stopped over on my way home. The swarm was about 15 feet up on a branch and about 6 feet out from the trunk of the tree. Backed my box truck over and climbed up on the roof like any reasonable person. Removed branch,  shook bees from branch into nuc box. Never saw the queen and wasn't sure I had her (I didn't) but had somewhere I had to be so I closed the box, strapped it to my ladder and left it. Sure enough, got back early this morning and the swarm was clustered on the next closest branch.

Set up in the back of my pickup truck with an 8' a frame ladder,  cut the branch and brought the whole thing down to the ground.  Two shakes into the box, left the branch next to the box and within a couple minutes they were coming out of the air into the box. Left the lid off while I packed up ladders and by that time there was almost no flying activity and the girls were settling in. Gave them a few more minutes and took them home.

BeeMaster2:
Occam,
That looks like a really nice large swarm. They might be able to make some honey for you this year if you have a good flow starting.
Jim Altmiller

Occam:
That would be nice, fingers crossed

Ben Framed:
How did it work out Occam?

Phillip

Occam:
Unfortunately this was rhe swarm that I referred to in General Beekeeping under the heading Swarm Die Off. Sorry, I don't know how to link threads.

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