Getting a swarm out of a tree

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relwood
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Mar 16, 2014 9:38 am

Getting a swarm out of a tree

Post by relwood » Sun Jun 01, 2014 2:54 pm

I got back from checking my hives this morning, and glanced in the backyard. I noticed there were a lot of bugs flying around back there, so I looked a little closer and discovered they were honey bees. I went out to investigate and found a nice swarm in my peach tree. This is my first year having hives, and I wasn't planning on trying to get a swarm for at least a year or two. But when there is a swarm in your backyard, I figure someone is trying to tell you something. I very quickly, using VERY precise measurements built a bottom board and a top board, grabbed a ladder, bee suit, squirter, smoker, and cell phone for pictures because otherwise I am pretty sure nobody would believe me. Oh, yeah, a medium height super with some frames from the basement. The neighbors were looking over the back fence at this point, with a concerned/amused look, so I warned them that if they saw me fall off the ladder with the hive body, they might want to go inside for a while.

I barely bumped the tree getting the ladder in place, and about half the swarm, I think, came down to see me. Time to put on the bee suit, dummy. When I got the hive body up about a foot under the swarm and squirted them a little, and then tried to shake the branch to get them off, they just flew, and then came back to the branch. I climbed down, went and got a brush, and tried to get them off with that. They just flew again, and then came back to the branch. So then I went and got my saw, bees are much more important than peach trees anyway. I cut the branch off, which did irritate them somewhat, and got it right over the hive body, and gave it a pretty good whack. Then they really flew. But this time, a lot of them went into the hive. I ended up putting the branch in front of the hive, and they eventually went into the hive.

So, here's my question: what works well for getting them off a branch? Since it was my tree, it wasn't a problem cutting a branch off. If it were someone else's tree, though, probably not the case.
Attachments
In_the_hive2.jpg
After they finally left the branch and walked in
In_the_hive2.jpg (112.57 KiB) Viewed 8295 times
swarm4.jpg
The swarm in my peach tree
swarm4.jpg (215.77 KiB) Viewed 8295 times

Backyard Bees
Posts: 65
Joined: Wed Mar 21, 2012 10:52 am

Re: Getting a swarm out of a tree

Post by Backyard Bees » Mon Jun 16, 2014 4:29 pm

Congratulations on your first swarm!

Sawing the branch works best but placing a hive body with a bottom board attached (we strap ours together) directly under the branch and giving the branch a strong rap will often work just as well.

The key to getting all the bees in the box is making sure you get the queen in there. It's not uncommon for a number of scout bees and confused bees to return to the branch. They do so because they're attracted to the the scent left by the queen and will hang out there until it's clear that everyone has moved into the box.
Backyard Bees
P.O. Box 7426
Boulder, Colorado 80306
http://www.BackyardBees.com

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