Beekeeping – Catching swarms

From October through to mid-December, beekeepers need to perform queen cell inspections as the bees’ natural swarming trait is at its strongest. The only way to stop your hive from swarming is to remove the queen cells.

To complete a queen cell inspection, it is necessary to shake or brush off all the bees from each frame. If bees are not removed from the frame, it is hard to spot the queen cells. At the same time, it is important to check if there are eggs on a frame before you remove any queen cells. If there are eggs, remove all the queen cells, but if there are no eggs leave the biggest queen cell and remove the rest.

Now, what do you do if you want to catch a swarm? Generally, the best way to get a swarm into a box is to lower them into a brood box. This scenario is usually possible when the bees are hanging from a small branch. You simply cut the branch and lower it into your box. Make sure to leave the frames inside the box and place the swarm on top of them. The bees will run down and hang from the tops of the frames.

However, if the bees are on a branch that is out of reach or too thick to cut, you can shake them off. This method is quick and if your aim is good, it is effective. Just give the branch a single, strong shake and the cluster will fall in a big clump into your box. The downside of this method is that many of the bees will fly up and become confused. Some will return to the branch you shook them from, others will land nearby. Basically, bees will go everywhere and it will take more time for them to regroup in your box. However, most them – and probably the queen – will end up there.

Once you’ve got most of the bees in your box, you’ll need to position it in a way that makes it accessible to the remaining bees. Those flying will return to the original location of the swarm, so you will want to place your box as close to the original location as possible.

After catching your new swarm, it is important not to disturb them for a week. This is the amount of time it will take them to build comb and start raising brood. If you bother them before this point, they may become annoyed and decide to abscond. If you see a swarm or need help with a swarm, call me on 021 0264 9674 and I will help save the bees.

Warkworth Beekeepers Society meets every first Wednesday of the month at Warkworth Primary School. Doors open 6.30pm. All welcome.

Grass Esposti
grass.esposti@gmail.com