Catching a swarm in a hive.

[Susan1]

Ok I haven't actually ever been lucky enough to attract a swarm in my 10 years of beekeeping but this year I managed to place a hive up high on a flat roofed shed. I was just wondering how I would get it down if I ever get bees in it. It should be interesting.

 

[drdrday]

Ok I haven't actually ever been lucky enough to attract a swarm in my 10 years of beekeeping but this year I managed to place a hive up high on a flat roofed shed. I was just wondering how I would get it down if I ever get bees in it. It should be interesting.

I caught my first swarms last weekend, including one in an old poly nuc on the garage roof. It was on the edge of the roof, so I just got up a ladder to close it up in the evening, and put a strap around it. Then it was easy enough to carry it down the ladder.

Just watch out for any bees clustering underneath the bait box when you pick it up. I had an open mesh floor in my bait box (yes, I know they're supposed to prefer a solid floor, but obviously my swarm wasn't fussed), and quite a few bees could obviously smell the queen through the OMF and were happy to cluster underneath it rather than go inside the hive.

 

[user 819]

The only swarmed I have caught in hive was unintentional, I left a DLQ colony that had ebbed away and forgot about it for the summer. When I remembered I went to collect it and thinking no more just whipped the roof & CB off to be greeted by a lot of bees.

 

[Stiffy]

Ok I haven't actually ever been lucky enough to attract a swarm in my 10 years of beekeeping but this year I managed to place a hive up high on a flat roofed shed. I was just wondering how I would get it down if I ever get bees in it. It should be interesting.

How to get down……very slowly I usually put a swarm box high up on a tree and have caught swarms. I strap the box up tightly and lower it down on a length of rope, very very slowly

 

[pargyle]

How to get down……very slowly I usually put a swarm box high up on a tree and have caught swarms. I strap the box up tightly and lower it down on a length of rope, very very slowly

And don't drop them ....

 

[beekeepershens]

more acronyms? DLQ? .. dead like quizzers? doomed, last, quid? dozy, lazy, questioner? nope, not sure ....

 

[Erichalfbee]

more acronyms? DLQ? .. dead like quizzers? doomed, last, quid? dozy, lazy, questioner? nope, not sure ....

Drone Laying Queen
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/a-beginners-list-of-acronyms.272/

 

[user 819]

more acronyms? DLQ? .. dead like quizzers? doomed, last, quid? dozy, lazy, questioner? nope, not sure ....

Tbh common sense and the fact this is a beekeeping forum should indicate what basic acronym's are, rocket science it isn't.

 

[oliver90owner]

Tbh common sense and the fact this is a beekeeping forum should indicate what basic acronym's are, rocket science it isn't.

I noted “Joined: Nov 10 2008”. That made me wonder, too!

 

[user 819]

Yep, does make one wonder.

 

[philipm]

I,ve got one to get down from the shed roof this week,Biggest problem is to get them to stay on the new site up the garden and not to return to the shed roof.I normally shut them up for a day or two with plenty of ventilation.

 

[W0otz]

Tbh common sense and the fact this is a beekeeping forum should indicate what basic acronym's are, rocket science it isn't.

Top Bar Hive common sense?

 

[Worker bee]

Tape the whole thing up and walk down the ladder. Or pass it to your wife or friend. 10yrs wow put your bait hives near apiarys of other beekeepers prefibly the ones who don't check them enough or comercial

 

[user 20297]

Tbh common sense and the fact this is a beekeeping forum should indicate what basic acronym's are, rocket science it isn't.

FWW, I think that beekeeping is a very complicated subject, just like rocket science; if it wasn't it wouldn't be necessary to use so many acronyms. For the record, the one which best describes my attempts so far is probably PPB.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesglossary.htm

 

[oliver90owner]

FWW, I think that beekeeping is a very complicated subject,

Really? I think it is quite simple,TBH (to be honest). Just need to know the basics and THINK (as in using one’s brain) before doing anything. KISS principle usually operates. It is generally only mistakes by the beekeeper which cause bees problems.

There are good beekeeping books out there - and also some right twaddle from some that have just ‘jumped on the band wagon’ in recent years. You tube videos tend to be rubbish - there are some good ones - but one needs to be very selective.

You can tell the ones that have learned from those that should have known better (hatching and emerging, all shallow boxes called supers, varroa floors and OMFs - and so it goes on....

 

[user 819]

FWW, I think that beekeeping is a very complicated subject, just like rocket science; if it wasn't it wouldn't be necessary to use so many acronyms. For the record, the one which best describes my attempts so far is probably PPB.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesglossary.htm

It is as complicated as you want to make it, as mentioned once the basics are known then it should be a lot easier.

For some beekeepers not only newbies they panic when QC's are found and rational seems to jump out of their head.

 

[user 819]

Top Bar Hive common sense?

Oh dear there is always one.

Try putting the acronym in context with what is written.

 

[user 20297]

FWW, I think that beekeeping is a very complicated subject,

Really? I think it is quite simple,TBH (to be honest). Just need to know the basics and THINK (as in using one’s brain) before doing anything. KISS principle usually operates. It is generally only mistakes by the beekeeper which cause bees problems.

There are good beekeeping books out there - and also some right twaddle from some that have just ‘jumped on the band wagon’ in recent years. You tube videos tend to be rubbish - there are some good ones - but one needs to be very selective.

You can tell the ones that have learned from those that should have known better (hatching and emerging, all shallow boxes called supers, varroa floors and OMFs - and so it goes on....

If beekeeping was so simple surely we would all quickly be experts like you?
If it was so simple there wouldn't have been so much written and researched about the subject.
If it was so simple, clever people like me wouldn't have any use for forums such as this one.
If it was so simple it wouldn't be so interesting as it quite evidently is.

For me, beekeeping is simple in the way that the game of chess is simple; anyone can learn the moves, but a lot of thought and insight is needed in order to become really proficient.

Bee-losing is simple; bee-keeping is a challenging skill to acquire.

 

[drex]

I agree with O90o that beekeeping can be simple, but the " basics" can be a lot to take in. With a knowledge of bee biology and natural history a lot can be worked out, but few seem to think they need that knowledge, going more for a " how do you do an x or y manipulation " type of learning.
I can still get flummoxed by the bees and in that situation usually just leave it to them. After all they have been at it longer than me

 

[Katherine]

Oh dear there is always one.

Try putting the acronym in context with what is written.

I think that was a joke.