Catching a Swarm Part 2

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: @University of Guelph Honey Bee Research Centre

[@gabrieldaley5881]

I am always excited to see new content; this one does not disappoint. Cheers!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Gabriel!

[@strugglingbeekeepermarkcot9642]

I enjoy your videos very much.

[@sylvain-paulcote5470]

I watched every single one of your videos over the last couple of years. Thank you so much for the great education! I don't have bees yet, I live in an apartment, but I am learning, hoping to get some one day, Nice catch! Big swarm! But I couldn't help noticing that you smoked a lot. Considering that the bees that are at the entrance fan their wings to help broadcast the nasonov pheromone to lead the others, won't smoking them prevent them from smelling that pheromone? As far as I know, smoking just puts them in "fire mode" which sends them running to the honey reserve and the unborn bees to start fanning to keep them cool. It does have a side effect of taking their objectives away from you, but in this case, they don't have anything to protect other than Her Majesty The Queen (which is important too, naturally!) But again, I'm just learning. I'm basically sitting in the classroom asking the teacher! (Haven't done that in 40+ years!😂) P.S. : I wish I had more teachers with your abilities as teacher. I might have stayed longer in school!

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Thanks Sylvain-Paul We are happy to hear that you have enjoyed our videos. You'll know when the timing is right to get into bees. It's great that you are learning lots in the meantime. Good Luck!

[@dougstucki8253]

My guess is that they didn't fit into that little box! I found a similar sized one and started with a nuc box only to realize once 2/3 of them were in it that they wouldn't all fit. Easy fix to put all of the frames of bees into a 10 frame deep and the rest followed.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Doug All I had with me that day was the 4 frame nuc box. I came back with a ten frame box the next day and transferred the bees into it.

[@stephenmcguire7331]

What makes the swarm of bees just after you lay them in front of a nuc or hive to all of a sudden go into that particular box you have chosen, with out having the queen or pheromones inside that particular box to attract them? This methodseems so strange not to just dump them or shake them over the top of a empty box and take the chance they march in a diffrent direction or just fly away.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

They can smell comb inside the box and readily march in. It works every time.

[@stephenmcguire7331]

@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre thak you!

[@jasonseaward8506]

I was actually wondering the same thing so thank you for the information and quick response​@@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre

[@mikedarkow7788]

us a butterfly net works good

[@TH-cl5be]

hello do you know the line of buckfast you use? i see there are dark and light colour queens, do you know how many different lines of buckfast there are, are they different in production,? i dont seem to be able to find much info

[@miha7748]

We just caught a swarm in the yard with a five frame nuc box from last years bees and frames that we drew honey from. Half the bees are in the box and the other half are outside. Night is approaching. Will they go in or do we have to scoop them in? Thanks.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Mi If the temperatures go cool most of the bees would have made it in. It sounds like a big swarm so you will need to transfer it into a larger box soon. Another time you could put a piece of plywood or some kind of roof to shelter bees that don't make it in.

[@BigRedNZ1]

Any follow up for these two swarms?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Both had mated queens. When both colonies started to supercede their queens I removed all the queen cells, united the hives and introduced a mated queen. The colony is doing fine now and produced some honey this summer.

[@GoneWildKennels]

THEY ARE STILL SWARMING IN OCT ?

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

This was filmed in May. I think I mentioned that in part 1.

[@GoneWildKennels]

Didn't part 1

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

@@GoneWildKennels I should have mentioned the date in part 2. It was a wild year for swarms here!

[@catchemalive]

You mentioned not being able to see if the queen was a virgin?? How can you tell? Is she a lot smaller??

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Yes, she is smaller and looks young. Virgins also move faster.

[@plumcreekbees4418]

No need to smoke swarms

[@johngardner1898]

I agree, and I think Paul knows this. He is choosing to give the student another "tool."

[@Pacorcrull]

Terrible camera angle

[@johngardner1898]

I know! For what we are paying, we should really be getting better cinematic production values! Oh, wait, Paul is doing this without a budget, for our benefit, absolutely free,...

[@johngardner1898]

Kudos to the student. No gloves!

[@christophebuisson7536]

Way too many bees to put in a 5 framer, should have had a 10 frames box but with at least 2 frames of food in it.

[@UoGHoneyBeeResearchCentre]

Hi Christophe That's all I had with me! I transferred them into a 10 frame box the next day.