Swarm on a rock

[BedWetter]

I recieved a call today about a swarm on a rock. How do you go about collection a swarm like this. I am thinking of sraying them with sugar water and scooping them into a nuc. Any other suggestions out there?

[BjornBee]

Slide a box up against the bees. Scoop a minimal amount into the front entrance and watch the rest follow inside. Its the easiest swarm other than a 3 ft high swarm hanging on a limb. But these are fascinating to watch. Its a "march" that you will remember.
Let them do what they are trying to do....find a cavity and a new home.

[BjornBee]

PS. I know your name implies some type of "spraying". But personally I feel there is no reason to spray bees for swarms. I do spray the frames if it is nothing more than foundation.

[tecumseh]

A bee brush and dust pan come to mind, although a bee vac might help (but you usually have to build one yourself). If you have an old queen cage (no candy but a plug for each end), lightly spray swarm with suger water (this just tends to make them not want to fly), start slowly brushing swarm into capture box, when you finally locate queen, place her in cage and place in box (hang from the top of capture box if possible). Once you have queen captured and in the box within 15 minutes every bee will be tightly clustered around the queen.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

I watched the biggest swarm I ever saw take off while I was spraying them :( just like in the NOVA program.

I'm with Bjorn, no need to spray if you are using used comb to collect them. I do spray the inside of the box for a quick lunch to tide them over, or the frames if they had not been used before.

Scoop them up by hand or with a little 3 inch box and dump them on the frames or opening. The rest will march right in, it let's you feel like a kid again, playing with bugs.

[BedWetter]

Ok, here is what I did. I have a 5 frame nuc box that I am using as a swarm box. I spayed the inside with a little lemon pledge. I only have one new frame with wax, so I put that inside (all of my other sheets of foundation were ruied...long story). I sprayed it with sugar water and placed it beside the swarm. I took a small rock and jarred them into the box. I then put a handful in front of the box. Some are moving in.

How long will this take. I started at noon (because of work) and It has been two hours and they are about 1/4 to 1/3 in. I don't want to spray or use my bee vac unless I have to. Thanks casey

[MIKI]

Lemon Plede? I don't get it, someone fill me in I missed this part somewhere.

[BedWetter]

I have heard that lemon plede is sort of like a substitute for swarm lure. I don't think that it helped.

[Michael Bush]

Lemon pledge has some of the Nasonov ingredients in it and sometimes helps getting a swarm into a box.

[peggjam]

After dealing with a Buckfast queen I fondly call "Witch" (only because it's more polite), I have found the easiest way to hive a swarm on the gound is to place a frame of comb or foundation on top of the pile and apply a light smoking. They climb right onto the frame and can be lifted into the hive. It may take more than one frame to get them all, and it helps if you make sure you get the queen onto one of the frames. I have done this many times and had the entire swarm with the exceptions of a few hobo's into the hive within 20 minitues or so.

peggjam