Posted: 7/5/2009 4:24:57 PM EDT
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Hiya guys.
I've been a VERY small scale bee keeper for several (8 or 9) years now. When I started you could order a 3 lb package of bees via mail for about $50, shipping included. I have not priced bees in a couple years but last I looked the bees and shipping would have been closer to $100. Thats a lotta money for a box of bugs... Every once in a while I get lucky. Today was the day. The wife called and told be that one of my existing hives had swarmed. I hurried home after work and found a really nice sized swarm hanging from a very low branch. Perfect! No ladders, no heights or roof tops or anything similar. These would be easy to get. 
The bees are really quite gentle when swarming. They are easy to handle. I did every thing here and only got zapped once. The pic below is my daughter, laying on the grass about 5 feet (no more) from the hive. 
The process is simple. Gather your equipment. Set it nearby. Grab the pruners. Grasp the branch and cut the branch. Carry branch and swarm to the box, and shake em in. No fuss no muss. This is a little remnant of the much larger swarm. 
This will probably fail. I'm not 'puter savy. Here is my pathetic attempt at a vid link: Sorry. computer linky foo is weak. Once they settle down I'll move them to a new location. Don't set em near the old hive. As bees leave to gather pollen and nectar they return to the OLD hive out of conditioning. The swarm dwindles. Instead set them in a different location, ideally some decent distance from the old hive. I'll move these later tonite. Thats it. $100 in free bees, and a new colony for additional pollenation. If you live in an area where bees are kept, swarms are common. If you want low cost bees, search for Top Bar Hives, and construct some VERY cheaply out of scrap. Keep one hive on hand. When you find that swarm, go get 'em! Cheap, easy and definitely way cool and practical for long term preparedness. Fro. |
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Thanks Froz; I think 2 or 3 bee hives would secure the fence of our complex from climbers, but admin might not see the humor of the deal.
Froz: I must say that you're much better upholstered than I pictured in my mind. 
ETA: hope you saw this |
| That is cool, dude. I was jogging in my apt complex about two weeks ago around 6:00 am, and there were thousands of bees all over the place. When I went to leave for work around 7:30, they were all gone. I guess it was just a swarm absconding to a new location for whatever reason bees do that. Anyway, it was an interesting experience and made for good coffee-pot conversation that morning. |
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How do you know where the Queen is in that swarm? Or do you just hope that you get her when you dump them into the new box?
I just bought a gallon of honey today from a local beekeeper, for $25. My plan is to put it into several smaller jars, in the next day or so. |
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Quoted:
How do you know where the Queen is in that swarm? Or do you just hope that you get her when you dump them into the new box? I just bought a gallon of honey today from a local beekeeper, for $25. My plan is to put it into several smaller jars, in the next day or so. for that price, I strongly suggest you stock up. IF I sell mine, I get 44 a gallon for table grade. And after my family members are taken care of (free fo course) then I rarely have any left to sell. |
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$25. is pretty cheap, definitely stock up if it's good honey.
The only swarm we had this year- which was from a 1st year hive!- came to rest 30 feet up in a pine! In the past we have captured almost every one that has came to rest below 10 feet. The wife is really brave, she digs through the swarm without gloves looking for the queen. I've been able to HEAR every swarm as they have been starting up. It's really a cool thing to experience. We usually just cut the branches and bump them into hive bodies. It's worked for us. We tried the lemon pledge deal one of you guys were talking about but we didn't have great luck with it. |
