Shaking swarms out of trees?

[NorCalAshurst]

I have been picking up swarm that have settled in peoples yard lately.
When they are on a flexible branch i just give it a good shake to
dislodge the ball into a nuc box. It seems to be quite an elegant, and
effective way to do it. But when they are on a branch that is too
substantial to shake I struggle to get a clean drop. I just try to
scrape them off with a hive tool which result in a lot more bees in
the air. anyone have any tips? How do you do it?

[Gene Weitzel]

If they are spread out along the length of a larger branch, I use my smoker to try consolidate them into more of a cluster. Then I mist them with a little water to get their wings wet and use a brush or feather to knock them into the box as best I can. If I can't get them to cluster up sufficently to knock them off in a clump, I use a paper cup with the rim trimmed off as a scoop. The water misting is most helpful in keeping the bees in the air down. Once you get the queen into the box, most the rest of the bees will eventually follow.

[stangardener]

i've been using a hair clip queen catcher and recomend it. very often while brushing the bees i'll see the queen and once she's in the clip the bees will put themselves where ever i put her.
i'm in somerset. i have a couple bait hives in rancho but no swarms yet. i did see a swarm at uc davis during sue cobey's queen rearing class end of last month.

[Ross]

Yep, did that on my last one. Left her in the clip overnight, until I could pull a brood frame to give them.

[beemanlee]

I have been picking up swarm that have settled in peoples yard lately.
When they are on a flexible branch i just give it a good shake to
dislodge the ball into a nuc box. It seems to be quite an elegant, and
effective way to do it. But when they are on a branch that is too
substantial to shake I struggle to get a clean drop. I just try to
scrape them off with a hive tool which result in a lot more bees in
the air. anyone have any tips? How do you do it?

NorCalAshurst,
Try the next best tool after "smoker" and "hive tool" that's "bee brush".
Use it to do this kind of work if the hive tool isn't working so well. I us a drawn comb frame from a honey super. Just scrap the bees off the bottom when there is a lot of them and put it in the suatm box. Do the same over again till you have most of them. Those that remain on the tree can be brushed in a dist pan, the "big" kind. When thats done usr a smoker and smoke the limb a lot to mask the sent of the bees. Take a frame with comb and set it on the limb and the remainder of the bees will go to it and hang it.....
I hop that will help you on the next one...
Lee.....

[NorCalAshurst]

Thanks for all the tip!
Water, Yes i like it. That should help. Don't know why I didn't think of that.
I guess smoking them would be a good idea. I always bring it but have never used it. I just don't like them and tend to avoid smoke if I can. They stink!

[Benton2569]

My one and only experience was very similar: bees were 20ft up and spread out on a long thick branch. I tried using a spatula to scrape them into a box but this made them angry. I was able to give the branch a few good shakes. By some miracle I did end up getting the queen and much of the colony.

In hind sight I would have put the makeshift hive under the tree to catch the rest of the bees but it was hot, I had already been stung several times and it was my neighbors yard.

[Gene O]

When i capture a swarm i wet them down with sugar water. will quit them down real quick use a squirt bottle 1-1 water- sugar when the go in will stay smoke the place where they were. my 2cents