Catching a Swarm Part 1

Paul Kelly, research and apiary manager, demonstrates how to catch swarms.
Frequently asked questions: hbrc.ca/faq/
A descriptive transcript is available here: hbrc.ca/catchi...
For more videos, check out the University of Guelph's HBRC KZbin channel at this link: ‪@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre‬

[@johngardner1898]

I like your approach. In the teaching scenario, it's good to take your time, patiently explain, and demonstrate the deliberate, relaxed attitude of experience. Thanks Paul.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks John for your kind comments. It's a team effort as you can see. :)

[@framcesmoore]

Paul good to see u back been a very long time good video hope u did more. Have a great week

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Frances Nice to hear from you again too!

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Catching swarms is my favorite part of bee keeping.

[@f.demascio1857]

Good method. I would have the nuc elevated next to the white sheet, with the sheet running upto the entrance. I also would have done a lot of hand scooping into the nuc. Of course, I don't look for the queen tho, I trust the bees to know where she is.

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

Great video last year was a great year for swarms.

[@mark-wn5ek]

Being fall now, it's great to hear that red winged blackbird in the background during the spring!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

I thought so too when I watched to video tonight!

[@dudeskirt4005]

I was wondering why anyone would bother catching a swarm in October but the bird song told me the true time of year.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

You got that right with the birdsong clues! It was filmed in early May.

[@freddies515]

Where do you purchase the canvas cloth you use as inner cover and what is it called?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

hbrc.ca/faq/ Hi Freddie. Please have a look at our FAQ. You'll see the canvas inner cover discussed there and a link to 'Our Equipment' video where we elaborate on this topic.

[@0pvo0]

was already thinking, quite late for a swarm ;). Isnt it also a good idea to now spray the bees using oxalic acid solution? To treat for varroa, but also by using water to let them cluster together more?

[@98honeybees92]

Thankfully, I did not have any swarms this season!

[@benjaminmssm]

Love how the student is covered with bees 😊but not the mentor

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

They have to get used to it. Monique is a great beekeeper now!

[@martynspooner5822]

That was so interesting for a layman like myself. Why are the bees not stinging? How do you find the Queen in the middle of that? Does the Queen walk into the new hive as her wings have been clipped? Thanks so much for posting and congrats to Monique who is a lot braver than me.

[@martynspooner5822]

@@sinisterhipp0 Thanks a lot, I find it so interesting and appreciate you taking the time to educate me.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks SH. Good answer!

[@polmacbradaigh9506]

@@sinisterhipp0 hello again

[@reneebrown2968]

Or you can lay a frame under the swarm to knock them onto it with your brush then put them into the the box 📦.

[@JamesEHill-cl1eg]

Nuc box should have been placed at bottom of tree & bees brushed into box.

[@jimschowe2770]

Our bee club is in the path of totality and we have one member who plans to record the activities of her hive as the eclipse passes overhead.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Cool. Our bees were not right on the path but they did get quieter when it got dimmer. It got cold too!

[@gregr5]

Poor Monique! What a trooper. She was covered in bees but kept going. I know keepers who would have stopped and brushed off several times by then..... maybe not a black shirt next time? Lol.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

She did really well this summer (and did ditch the dark coat)!

[@Gunner662]

Poor Monique is correct. Wearing a mask in 2023 even though she is young, healthy, outside, and with someone she is with all day every day. Yes, poor Monique. She has been brainwashed by her media and government.

[@intheshell35ify]

Monique is a trooper. Those hands was getting tore up.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

She sure is!!!

[@reneebrown2968]

You aren't seeing your new friend. She's covered in bees

[@nunyah64]

Yeah! Why not just put the nuc on the tarp under the tree??

[@friedricey]

The pheromones are on the tree. Might make it harder to move into the nut?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Good question. I wanted to show how you could move the swarm to a nearby location using the tarp. Often the swarm lands somewhere you don't want to locate the hive.

[@jonesy4588]

I think you would have better luck spraying them down with sugar water

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Lots of ways to catch swarms. That's part of the appeal!

[@billiamc1969]

Guys, all you need to do is place a well used nuc box with drawn brood frames right next to the cluster and give the bees a few puffs of smoke and the bees will walk right in...you go through so much more trouble than is necessary its ridiculous

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Bee Friendly Yes your suggestion may have worked in this case given that the swarm was so low. I was demonstrating a way to collect bees when you can't shake them off or put a collection container underneath. A method that could be useful in other situations. Lots of ways to do any beekeeping task!

[@aljjeeran]

Queen wings.✅✅✅✅🐝🐝🐝🐝🇰🇼

[@moebees3060]

You should know what you are doing to do a how to video.

[@primitivedaisy]

He does know what he’s doing. No need for snide remarks.

[@diegovd7215]

@@primitivedaisy As I a beekeeper I can assure you, that was not good. I was expecting something much better from him, considering all the good previous videos on the channel. The only time smoke is appropriate to use is when you want to steer the movement of the bees, or mask the pheromones on the branch so that they do not come back to it. No point in smoking the bees when they are still. You may approach the box to the tree/branch and let them go in by themselves. You can encourage the beginning of "the march" by taking scoops of bees with your hand and depositing them in the box. You can spray water or sugar water on them at the very beginning, so that they are less stressed and don't fly as easily. Bees HATE it when you brush them against bark on a tree. You can deposit the box below, next to, up above and steer them with smoke when they are not moving in the direction you want. You can spray sugar water on the frames to make them more attractive. If you explain to a beginner how the bees think and react as a group, they probably will do perfectly fine :) That was my extended "2 cents". Cheers.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi all Lots of ways to catch swarms... It was a pretty informal video done on the fly so not our best in terms of production. The method shown worked fine and took five minutes. We didn't notice the bees hating it. We filmed three different swarm scenarios to show a few ways of catching them and all involved brand new beekeepers having the exciting opportunity of catching swarms. Most years we have very few swarms to catch but this was a real swarm year in our area.