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Capturing Swarms & Feral Hives

Overview

Capturing swarms is typically an easy task; however be aware that when someone calls you to remove a swarm from their location that you and they are talking about the same activity. There are these of note:

  1. Removing a swarm from some location out in the open.
  2. Removing bees from inside a building, especially where you will have to destructively do so. This is often called a cutout.
  3. Removing bees which are nesting inside a tree. This is often called a feral hive.

Each of these activities is different, so they are addressed separately below.

******************************************** Collecting a Swarm from an Open Location ********************************************

Collecting a Swarm from an Open Location

When bees swarm, this is typically a 2-step activity.

  1. The bees leave the hive en masse and move to an intermediate location where they then search for a new home. The book, Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners, by Dr. Thomas Seeley, discusses this activity in great detail and is worth reading.
  2. After the swarm colony has identified a new home location, they move again en masse to that place.

Whilst the bees are in their temporary location, they are easy to capture. The search for a new home can take 1-5 days, so it is good to get onto the site where they are temporarily nesting to collect them. That is when they are most docile and easiest to catch.

Activities for Collecting the Swarm

David Burns' is a master beekeeper, certified by the Eastern Apicuture Society, and covers this well in his YouTube video (noted below).

Equipment to Take With You When Collecting the Swarm

These items are good to have with you when visiting the site.
  1. Something to collect the swarm into. I've used a storage tub with a hole in the top covered by window screening; others have used 5-gallon buckets or even cardboard boxes. The key is that the bees must be able to breathe inside the box.
I like to add a few drops of lemongrass oil to a scrap cloth and add it to the box. It seems to attract the bees.
  1. A 4-foot to 6-foot ladder is good to take.
  2. Your bee suit.
  3. A smoker. Some say that this is not necessary for the collection activities as the bees are already so docile. Where I have found it useful is after the bees are collected. I then smoke the area where they were so that any bees not collected will not sense their queen's pheromone, and will realize that their queen is gone.

Adding the Collected Colony to a Langstroth Hive

When you get the colony back to your apiary, adding them to a Langstroth hive is no different from adding a package to a hive box.

******************************************** Collecting a Colony from a Building - Performing a Cutout ********************************************

Collecting a Colony from a Building - Performing a Cutout

When bees have built their home inside a building, it is typically in a wall, a chimney, or an attic. Removing them from any of those spaces can require destructively removing parts of the structure to get to them, and especially to remove all the comb they built.

Due to the damage you will probably do to someone's home, I recommended that you not accept this request unless you have experience doing it with someone who knows what to do.

If accepting the request,

  1. Ensure the homeowner understands that you will probably be damaging their house.
It is best to get their acknowledgement in writing. You should consult a lawyer on how to write up such a contract.
  1. Ensure the homeowner understands the cost for the work you are to perform.
  2. Ensure the homeowner understands what you will be doing, and what you will not be doing.
For example, if you are not a certified home renovator, you probably should not agree to repair any damage you do to their house.

Once you have completed the collection of the colony, follow the steps outlined below for adding a feral hive to a Langstroth hive.

******************************************** Collecting a Feral Colony from a Tree ********************************************

Collecting a Feral Colony from a Tree

When bees have built their home inside a tree, it is usually an old tree trunk or limb. The request to have you come remove the bees will typically come from either the property owner who found a fallen limb with bees inside it, or from a tree company who found the hive by accident when cutting into the tree.

Removing the bees from a fallen log is easier then from a standing tree. If the tree is still standing, consider the activities needed for getting to the colony.

If the part of the tree which holds the bees is on the ground, this is much easier.

In either case, I recommended that you:

  1. Ensure the property owner is made aware of what you will be doing,
  2. Ensure they agree with the disposition of the wood you are going to be cutting up (leave it on site, take it with you, etc.)

Activities for Collecting the Feral Colony

The first step is to evaluate the colony's home. I've come across some dead colonies which only had bees robbing out whatever was left. These can be abandoned.
If the colony is viable, this can be a real find! These have made the best additions to my apiary.
  1. Explore the colony's comb. Find the parts with brood, and try to recover as much of that as possible.
  2. Try to find the queen. You'll want to bring her home with you.

Equipment to Take With You When Collecting the Feral Colony

You will need everything noted for collecting a swarm from an open location, and also these items.
  1. A saw to get into the tree area where the colony is. A chainsaw is best if you are physically capable of using it.
  2. A hive tool is useful.

Adding the Feral Colony to a Langstroth Hive

The YouTube video noted below from UAEX Beekeeping covers this well. Note the way they uses rubber bands to hold the collected comb into frames. These frames can then be put into one of your hive boxes.

Final Comments - Getting on the List

Most bee clubs and some state beekeeper associations maintain a list of those beekeepers who will collect swarms. Tree companies, exterminators, and many community groups will look to this list for whom to contact. As a member of such groups you should be able to be added to the list.

Additional pictures of this

Usage Notes

More Information

Published Articles

Books and Papers

  • ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture, published by Bee Culture.
  • The Hive and the Honey Bee, edited by Joe Graham; published by Dadant.
  • Piping Hot Bees and Boisterous Buzz-Runners, by Dr. Thomas Seeley.

Web Sites

Presentations

Other

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About this Site

Disclaimer: eMail comments to me at BeekeepingBoK @ Gmail.com. The process of beekeeping can cause injury or be a health hazard unless proper precautions are taken, including the wearing of appropriate protective equipment.