Easiest swarm collection ever

Wingy · Jul 11, 2020

I was at the mother in laws this afternoon helping her inspect her bees. It’s her first season and I’m mentoring her. Just finished & I get a phone call from the wife. A neighbour on the estate has just knocked on the door asking if I can help with a swarm of bees in her apple tree.
I arrived there 30 minutes later with suit, sheet & a Nuc not knowing what to expect.
I was faced with a massive prime swarm 6’ up a small tree. Suit on, sheet on the floor, 1 shake got 1/2 of them in the box, lid on and placed on the sheet, used a few leaves to brush the rest off the tree. They all started to march into the Nuc.
Came back 2 hours later & most were in with a cluster on the front. All wrapped up and now safely at home.
What surprised me is they had been there 2 days and the neighbour had made lots of phone calls but nobody would move them for free, she said she was either given a price or a donation was required. Another neighbour pointed her in my direction

The Poot in Somerset · Jul 11, 2020

Good result and a good service to the neighbourhood

gmonag · Jul 11, 2020

Does anyone charge for capturing a swarm?

Wingy · Jul 12, 2020

gmonag said:
Does anyone charge for capturing a swarm?

Seems that way, she said she had been searching the internet and phoning people including beekeepers it was either given a price or told a donation would be required. She just couldn’t afford it. It was only when she was talking to another neighbour they told her that I kept bees, hence the knock on my door.
Glad to say it wasn’t 1 of mine

madasafish · Jul 12, 2020

gmonag said:
Does anyone charge for capturing a swarm?

I used to charge £20 - which I immediately returned if they were honey bees...Far too many calls for tree bees..

No longer on swarm collection list (but still collect a few- one from bollard in local high street Sunday last year - right in front of Wetherspoons)

Wingy · Jul 16, 2020

That makes sense, a call out charge refunded if they are honeybees. I’m not on a swarm collectors list but have heard of numerous people being called out to various types of bees.