How to Catch a Swarm of Honey Bees with a Butterfly Net! Collect those bees in trees!

[@shaunroberts9361]

Fred That was amazing. THE BEE WHISPER.

[@TheFarmacySeedsNetwork]

Another Excellent video from Fred's Fine Bees! Thanks Fred! Great tips, as always!

[@michellesheleg5895]

👍 love the landing board visor!

[@julieenslow5915]

Love your new method of catching swarms, would be a shame to trim those trees in your apiary - they are gorgeous! Beautiful capture! Love your awnings, when you get them to a point, you will do a video on how to build? Please? Thank you for your very excellent videos, always a pleasure sir!

[@FrederickDunn]

I just made a new batch of them and I'm getting down to the final "streamlined" design... I will make a video about them soon :) thanks Julie!

[@julieenslow5915]

@@FrederickDunn That's rather what I expected. You are meticulous, science based and a bit of a perfectionist. I qualify that last in case you find the word offensive. Personally, I don't, so you should know its intended as a compliment. But those qualities are what make you so darned good at what you do, and your videos some of my favorites. Thank you!

[@FrederickDunn]

@@julieenslow5915 never offended... and thank YOU Julie :)

[@donstor1]

Another fine video. Well done and thank you.

[@johnmcneill923]

Fantastic... you make it look easy. I guess you are a Boy Scout... always prepared! And that saved a few $$$

[@beefcurtains6691]

Very cool video thank you again Mr Dunn. Always learning something new when I watch your channel 😀

[@younginsong4355]

5 pound richer Fred with priceless smile of Fred ~ OMG, their sound ~ so healthy ~ ^_^ Whoa, butterfly net!

[@danskisbees7348]

Nice catch Fred, that was a big swarm! I wish I could grow spruce in my zone, they are so beautiful!

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Dan, it's funny because that was our Christmas Tree many years ago and I planted it one January in the snow.

[@danskisbees7348]

@@FrederickDunn Definitely don't want to hurt that tree!

[@littlebirdie8526]

Fantastic! love the video

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks so much!

[@gmoney1616]

6:22 beautiful!!

[@craig6903]

Congrats are the swarm capture! Can you post a link to your bee visor video? Can’t seem to find it, definitely a good idea, think I want to make a few for my honeybees

[@FrederickDunn]

It's in FAQ 18 - :)

[@maurette1994]

Awesome

[@davidfurman526]

Thank you for all your videos that you have made one question how do you keep wax moths out of your equipment if you're not using it

[@FrederickDunn]

I don't store drawn out comb, I put those empty frames in my wax melter and let the wax drip off and then store them. IF I happen to have some truly good comb, I store that in black plastic bags.

[@timothymitchell9956]

I saw a German video about catching your own swarms using net that are fastened to the front of a skep. Your technique reminds me of that. Can I recommend you videoing and using an umbrella that is turned upside down.

[@FrederickDunn]

I'm not going to try an umbrella, but I could see someone else trying that :) the nets are working so well that I think I'll just continue with that method.

[@eberntson]

Nice video, like the buzzing of the bees. Do the rapid round feeders stack/nest for storage in the winter?

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks and yes they do!

[@seanb0wers514]

If I didn't know any better. I would say you like those bee awnings! And quite possibly... so do the bees. By the way, nice save. You could probably market that Fred. Instead of butterfly nets, Swarm Chasers best friend...Bee nets.

[@FrederickDunn]

Thanks Sean! I think there indeed a market for dedicated bee-swarm nets, but with things as they are, I'd design one and spec it all out the way I want it and withn a month another company would copy and market at a lower price. Not worth it, so I just share my ideas :)

[@seanb0wers514]

@@FrederickDunn I hear ya Fred. If it didn't happen here then it would come from China. Keep sharing the love. They can't rob you if it's free;)

[@FrederickDunn]

@@seanb0wers514 I have good friends with excellent patent-pending equipment and it's all been pirated. Legal fights go on forever and it's a shell game going after many of these companies.

[@SmallTNHomestead]

@Frederick Thank you again for your detailed video, much appreciated! I'm curious regarding the feeder box Bee entrance. Is it necessary? If so, why?

[@FrederickDunn]

That is the inner cover with a vent cutout, the bees haven't used it as an entrance, it's primarily venting only. Not necessary, I threw it together because the swarm was not planned for :)

[@357lockdown]

Handsome bunch of girls there Fred. I'm going to check out your vid on those visors, they look good. How do you like that type of feeder you used? Thanks Fred.

[@FrederickDunn]

I will be making a video soon, showing my final hive visor design and how to make them, I've made some improvements! :)

[@cyrusrussell2062]

I liked it after watching the last video you talked about your butterfly net of course I built one after watching this video I think I will so a little piece of rope on the bottom corner so I have something to grab when dumping it in the box what do you think of that

[@FrederickDunn]

We think alike Cyrus! I'm having my wife sew a loop at the end for the same reason! AND we're making the bag from unbleached muslin cloth. How is yours working out?

[@cyrusrussell2062]

Well I haven't use mine yet

[@cyrusrussell2062]

I didn't go with a handle or a loop worried that it would snag on something so I'm going with just a straight piece of rope three or four inches long

[@FrederickDunn]

@@cyrusrussell2062 Makes sense... good call on the potential for fouling on something.

[@mikes1345]

One of those collaspable dip nets used for salt water fishing or the big freshwater great lakes would probably be better than a bass dip net. Dont know what the max reach is but mine opens up where i can scoop a big fish about 6 foot from the boat and has about 30 inch or larger mouth.

[@FrederickDunn]

30 inch opening is too large... that becomes a problem getting the net into many locations. But I am definitely going to look more at fish nets, thanks!

[@readysteadyhome5342]

How about a pool cleaning net/pole?with a cloth bag attached.

[@FrederickDunn]

Sounds good to me Helen :)

[@terragrub197]

Hey Frederick, I know this is probably not the correct place to ask this question, but I was hoping you could answer a quick question. The round feeder you talk about on your channel, do you ever see mildew or excessive trapped moisture? I have one and I have seen water droplets on the lid and now I saw some mildew growing at the syrup line inside? Thanks Kevin, new bee guy.

[@FrederickDunn]

Hi Kevin, I replace them with clean feeders weekly, I don't just refill them. No black mold develops if you swap the feeders when filling.

[@terragrub197]

@@FrederickDunn Guess I will have to buy a couple more. Thanks.

[@FrederickDunn]

OH definitely, have a stack of them so you never have to rush!

[@gieslebt]

So how many stings did you get during the capture? Very impressive.

[@FrederickDunn]

Zero! BUT, if I didn't wear that vented jacket there were a few that meant business!

[@julieenslow5915]

@@FrederickDunn Fred, they just wanted to show their appreciation! LOL Ah well. You got the queen in the end, I think they will stay!

[@thehomeplatespecial597]

Pennsylvania is a leading producer of mushrooms which is a great thing. Paul Stamets, a mushroom guru, not a bee guy per se, discovered that bees collect mycelium / fungus and use it medicinally to fight mites and such. So I am guessing the bees that go out in the rain may be scouting for spores or some other highly useful thing. With natural habitat disappearing like rotting trees with fungus the kept bees may not live in a hollowed tree or log but they still want to have their medicines brought to their boxes.

[@FrederickDunn]

That's a very good observation and also a great reason to leave "snags" where they die. My woods have several fallen trees so it's possible the bees are benefitting and I do need to do some exploring with this information in mind. Thank you!

[@thehomeplatespecial597]

@@FrederickDunn with your knowledge and experience I hope you do one of your dives into the topic and educate us on what you have descerned and give your thoughts. I am here to learn and all this gloriously fascinating information is not always decipherable by those with little to no experience with bees like myself. Fate is sort of forcing my hand or calling my bluff as to my claim of always wanting to keep bees as I have unexpected abundance dropped in my lap.

[@stgermain1074]

Fred, if it's one of your queens, won't she be marked?

[@FrederickDunn]

All of my Marked Queens have flown off... There were only two, the rest of my colonies all have unmarked Queens including the Saskatraz bees.

[@linusritter9280]

when you have a hive that size there is a good chance that there is more then one Queen

[@mohammadsalah3319]

I love this video but I will be waiting to the 25 Chapter of my favorite series so see you then ;)

[@FrederickDunn]

Working on that right now :)

[@mohammadsalah3319]

@@FrederickDunn I wish you more success my friend

[@leehutcheson4013]

Oh, come on! I thought that catching bees in a net would get them to sting you.

[@mikeries8549]

How I do it is destructive so maybe not for yall. Fishing pole, spark plug, and a rope. Might take a few spark plugs but the idea is to cast a line over the limb and drop the spark plug down. Tie a rope on. Pull it up and back down. Lose the fishing pole. Now shake and break the limb off if you can. They'll get back on the limb and then you shake em into a bee box. End of story. Sounds easy. It is not. Orrrrr you can buy a 40 foot ladder. ;)

[@FrederickDunn]

Interesting method MIke!