swarm-list Mailing List: Re: Thick branch - various approaches

[Bees & Beeks (bayareabeeks]

I used bucket & brush and got 80% of bees 1st time but they kept flying back to original location.  Took full 30 min of constant brushing off trunk to get majority of them into box.  Some were fanning but NOT the steady march in of established Queen.  Since its size of 2 large potatoes, viable but small, it’s either virgin Queen or Queenless.

I didn’t hear Queenless roar in box so my hypothesis is it’s actually a swarm of returning mating Queen but she isn’t fully mated or laying yet.  Virgin Queens return with MORE bees than she left with.  Also saw quite a few drones with is unusual for swarm.   

Still handful left - returning foragers/stragglers but they should figure it out by dusk.  Or I’ll scoop again before boxing up. 

Mimi 

Sent from my iPhone

On Apr 30, 2025, at 4:17 PM, Gerald Przybylski via swarm-list <swarm-list [at] alamedabees.org> wrote:


Read the situation, and roll with it.
This post at the pleasanton school had bees hanging below a 2 inch diameter branch that can't conveniently be shaken
to get the bees to drop into equipment.

Three approaches come to mind. Which depends on your own experience, resources available (in your bee mobile), and the situation.

a)  Use a 16 oz or 24 oz or 32 oz soft-drink cup (plastic or paper are fine) to  SCOOP bees carefully from the cluster on the branch,
and pour gently into the catch-box.
The first cup from the bottom of the swarm may not have the queen in it. 
By the third or fourth scoop-full you're likely to have the queen.
You can tell she's in the catch-box by the way the bees behave on top of the frames in your catch box. Fanning.
They look organized, not searching.

b)  Use a frame with foundation or drawn comb like a tray or 'dust-pan' to scoop bees from the swarm, and gently move them into the catch box.
Pick up another frame and do it again.   By then, the soft-drink cup may be a better option. 
Bees might march in between drawn frames of brood comb rubber-banded together.  That will go slowly, but should be effective

c)  Suck the bees into your catch box with your "Bee-Vac" - the best ones have large hose diameter hose, and end in a plenum under
a catch box with frames in it.  Less chance of damaging bees.  Bad when the bees slam into a wall upon reaching the tank of the bee-vac.
With rigid extensions to your "Wand" you can reach pretty high into a tree or up a wall.   You have the advantage of being able to
suck up all the stragglers.  After 45 min you might have only a handful of bees not-yet-captured.

d)  Offer them a box to march into.  Cut a 2" x 2" hole along the edge of an amazon box,
and shove rhe entrance gently against the swarm.  Once they start marching in you're pretty much done. 
A piece of old brood comb or a frame in the box may induce them to move sooner.
Smoke can be used to coax bees to move.   Use sparingly.  Smoke from the down-wind side, not the side the wind is blowing from.
You want this offered home to be their refuge/escape.

-- any other easy solutions to the bee swarm on a thick branch problem from the experts?

IMO trying to "Sweep" or "Brush" bees into your equipment will evolve badly.  Lots of confused bees in the air.  Bad "Look" too.

I have found that I rarely NEED to put on my bee jacket when collecting swarms.  It's handy close-by, though.   No gloves needed either.
All that stuff gets in the way of clear vision and feel. 

That's my 2¢

On 4/30/25 3:35 PM, Bo Droga via swarm-list wrote:

Hi Jerry,

I hope you’re doing well! It would be incredibly helpful for us beginners to receive a few video samples of challenging swarm catching techniques. It’s always inspiring to see how the professionals handle these difficult situations.

Thank you so much for your support!

Best regards

 Bo

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