Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
mediately. Sometimes, it takes two or three days but a few hours or overnight is more
frequent.
Once people know that you are a beekeeper, you will be sought out as the person
to deal with a large mass of honey bees hanging someplace. In fact, if increasing your
stock is a goal, retrieving swarms is a viable and inexpensive method to do so. Knowing
when swarming begins in your area helps so you can plan on having your equipment
ready. Beekeepers often notify local fire departments, police departments, and county
extension offices that they will take swarm calls.
You will need some basic equipment before going on your first swarm call. First,
you'll need a box in which to put the bees. An unused super works well most of the
time, but you'll need a bottom and top for it. For adequate ventilation, use a top that's
screened rather than solid; using a window screen wedged in the front door works for
short drives home in a truck. You'll want a far more secure box and closure if you are
putting the box in the backseat of your car. The super should have only three or four
frames in it, no more.
Swarms leave the nest and fly a short distance to get organized, make sure the queen is
with them, and evaluate the places scouts have found that they may soon call home.
Often they land high—the tops of trees, the sides of buildings, church steeples—but they
can land just about anywhere imaginable (car bumpers, bushes, beneath picnic table
benches). If retrieving your bees from great heights is an issue, let the bees go. It is not
worth the risk. There are swarm catchers made from long poles and large buckets with
a lid you can close from the ground. When a swarm lands close to the ground, on a
small shrub or bush, gathering them can be easy, or very, very difficult. Either way, the
thrill of gathering several pounds of free bees, and being a hero for those who believe
they have been saved by the beekeeper, goes a long way.
Swarm Call Checklist
If you're on a swarm call list for the fire or police department, you need to be pre-
pared.
Here are some common questions to ask the caller before you leave:
