Easiest Swarm Pick up Ever

[beeman7467]

Picked up the easiest swarm of my short bee keeping career (6 years). They were in a front yard on the ground in a pile the size of a super. It was in a grove of trees so I'm assuming maybe a branch broke and they fell. Put a super with frames in it over the top of them and propped up one side with the bottom board. Came back that evening and just picked box up and placed it on the bottom board. Maybe 20 dead bees in the grass, but the rest of them crawled up into box. Checked them today all is well. Wish they were all like that.

[Brent Bean]

Lucky break most of the time I have to get them from 20 feet or higher in a tree .

[Barry Digman]

Now why didn't I think of that? I've been putting the bottom board/hive body or other container on the ground and brushing into the container, or lifting whatever they've clustered onto up high enough to slide a body under.

[BjornBee]

Great swarm catch.

Not to play one-upmanship, as most have stories of one type or another. About two weeks ago, in a time not far past, when rain was not forecasted every stinking day for the past 9 days, a time before 55 degree temps, and howling 40 mph winds, when queens flew, and bees drew comb, and all was aligned right in the galaxy.....Sorry, got off topic for a moment....

Anyways, I have several yards with hives in a neighboring county that basically only pollinates pumpkins and other field crop. So hives are not really doing anything till mid-June at the earliest. I left a dead out in one of the yards, as I normally do at this time for those swarm calls and if I'm in the area I know where an extra box is. So the farmer calls and says one of my hives just swarmed. I could not leave for it, and was expecting company. So I figured I'd go out the next morning. then about an hour later he calls back, and says to forget it. I asked if they flew away, and he said "No. They left one hive, went up and clustered about twenty feet away in a tree, and 30 minutes later, went inside the empty hive".

Now those swarms I can handle...

[mainstreat]

Hay guys, new here. Ive just got to know............How do you train your bees to do that? LOL

[Benton2569]

Why cant mine be like that? It is always in a tall tree, in someone elses yard, when we are expected to be some where already.

Great luck!

[beeman7467]

Haven't taught mine to fly from one box to the next, but I'll work on it :-). Funny thing was, I was convinced they were ground hornets when I got the call. The home owner was hysterical about the "bees coming out of the ground" and wanted them gone before their anniversary party this weekend. Every other swarm I've ever picked up before has been in tree or attached to a gutter, etc. and took a little maneuvering to get into a box. I sure I'll pay the price with the next one.

[Dr.Wax]

I went with my mentor on my first swarm call a couple weeks ago. This swarm was also on the ground. He placed an empty hive body a few inches from them and scooped a few bees into the top. No queen in evidence. Then he began tapping on the back of the hive rhythmically and damned if they didn't begin orderly filing into the hive! Like the Pied Piper or something.

I have since read that thunder tells bees to get indoors so I wonder if that had something to do with it as thumping could produce vibrations taken as thunder? I also wonder if that would also work with a swarm suspended on a branch or something as the bees would have to fly in rather than crawl.

[mlewis48]

I got a very easy one today. It was huge, 5# at least. Hanging from a limb about 3 ft off the ground. Two limbs to cut, held over a hive, 2 shakes later, covered and ready to go. The only problem is, it could have come from one of my hives that is on this farm. I won't know untill tomorrow. I hope not!

[summer1052]

Dr. Wax, my 94 year old mentor says that tapping, or drumming, or banging, interferes with the bees' hearing. They can't hear each other, or the vibrations. They just settle down, and head inside the nearest box, figuring, "Oh well, that's done. Time to go home."

Kinda spooky to watch, isn't it?

Summer

[Dr.Wax]

Dr. Wax, my 94 year old mentor says that tapping, or drumming, or banging, interferes with the bees' hearing. They can't hear each other, or the vibrations. They just settle down, and head inside the nearest box, figuring, "Oh well, that's done. Time to go home."

Kinda spooky to watch, isn't it?

Summer

Yeah it was something else. As soon as he began thumping about every second on the back of the box it was like it was a signal to them. A switch turned on. And they began crawling as one into the entrance.

I read yesterday about a mother and son witnessing a swarm flying over their property many years ago. The mother told the son to go get some pots and pans. Then she began banging them together and the swarm immediately came down and landed in a tree where she collected and hived them. Just like magic.

I really think there is something to the thunder idea. (And what is thunder to a bee but a loud vibration? A thump is also a locally loud vibration. ) In nature thunder tells the bees to stop foraging and return home as a storm is approaching. They know to seek shelter. And if you conveniently provide that shelter in the form of a nearby box they will occupy it. It is part of their survival programming.

That is awesome that you have a wise, old mentor. I could listen to those old timer's stories all day.

[Barry Tolson]

I love hearing accounts like this. My easy swarm was just today. Got a frantic call from a family with a "cloud of bee's" around there house...I was able to go straight there and by that time a very good size swarm had settled about 3 ft off the ground on a tree trunk...that was covered in poison ivy! I was very lucky in that I was able to spot the queen...reach in and pluck her out...without touching the poison ivy...put her on a comb in a box a few feet away...and watched the girls gravitate to the box. All the neighbors were standing watching from a distance...taking pictures...and commenting that this was a very good way to spend the day! I can't imagine anything easier than that! Now waiting for sunset so I can go back and close them up and bring them home! Nice holiday weekend for me, too!

[phil c]

I have also heard of the noise thing with drumming or whatever. I spoke to a friend today who happened to be in the bee yard when one of the hives sent up a swarm. He said an old beek told him one time to bang pots together. he had one pan in his bee shed and said he was running around banging it like a fool for about 15 minutes when the swarm setteled down over about a 20 ft area then clustered together. he did get them back.
I wanted to call BS on it but now reading this thread, I'm not so sure.
Phil