A swarm has been sitting high in a tree above my apiary for 8 days now, despite good weather. Have they decided to stay?

[JamezF]

You have a year to come up with a way to reach the top of the tree!

Apply a chainsaw about five feet above ground level?

James

 

[Boston Bees]

Apply a chainsaw about five feet above ground level?

James

Tree protection order, sadly

 

[Sutty]

Russian Scion to try to avoid them going that high?

 

[enrico]

This is when you need a carbon fibre tree pruner or fishing rod with a bag on the end that you can put a frame of brood in. If it will reach the swarm they will be attracted to the brood frame.
Seen it work!

 

[Boston Bees]

This is when you need a carbon fibre tree pruner or fishing rod with a bag on the end that you can put a frame of brood in. If it will reach the swarm they will be attracted to the brood frame.
Seen it work!

They were at the height of a 3 storey building ... but I know what you mean

 

[Wilco]

They were at the height of a 3 storey building ... but I know what you mean

Drone with some form of grabber... Or two drones, one with bag and other with loppers!

 

[Boston Bees]

Drone with some form of grabber... Or two drones, one with bag and other with loppers!

I could patent a design for a bait hive with a drone strapped to it. Just send it up and hover the bait hive next to the swarm. Can't see how this wouldn't work.

Admittedly you would get some minor minceage of flying bees, but hey ....

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

full choke, three inch cartridge with 42 grams of No1 shot

 

[Sutty]

Could use a drone to hook a pulley an light line above the swarm, pull through a stronger line and haul up a frame of brood. Wait until swarm has gone onto it and slowly lower it.
I may be overthinking it

 

[Wilco]

full choke, three inch cartridge with 42 grams of No1 shot

I think the plan is to take most of them alive while clustered...

 

[Wilco]

Could use a drone to hook a pulley an light line above the swarm, pull through a stronger line and haul up a frame of brood. Wait until swarm has gone onto it and slowly lower it.
I may be overthinking it

Why leave it at a frame. Let's get a whole bait box moved up there.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think the plan is to take most of them alive while clustered...

just aim at the branch, not the bees

 

[Wilco]

just aim at the branch, not the bees

At three storeys, even with choke, I think there might be some bee confetti.

Reminds me of a story I heard of an elderly friend when he was a student at Cambridge. One morning they discovered the night climbers had put a chamber pot on the top of Kings Chapel (IIRC). Nobody could get up to remove it so they called the army who sent someone with a rifle to shoot it down.

And in one swift movement, I begin to turn into JBM...

 

[Antipodes]

This is when you need a carbon fibre tree pruner or fishing rod with a bag on the end that you can put a frame of brood in. If it will reach the swarm they will be attracted to the brood frame.
Seen it work!

I got one down from 7.5 metres for someone like that once (frame tied on) ....but yes Boston, three storeys too high and now too late anyhow.

 

[Antipodes]

So nine people guessed correctly

 

[Boston Bees]

So nine people guessed correctly

Yes. Including not me!

 

[Antipodes]

Yes. Including not me!

That makes two of us.

 

[JeffG]

What do people reckon? What's the longest you have seen a swarm bivouac for (apart from those which have been locked in place by rain etc)

Last year a swarm stayed on the gutter of our house for 13 days both on top and under the gutter. Weather was mostly good but they did get some rain. There was minimum activity while they were there. I saw them depart on the 13th day disregarding my bait hives. They left no comb behind.