Procedure for swarm collection in public places

[Bees Plus]

Hi everyone - does anyone have an approved procedure for taking a swarm in the public space? The reason I ask is that I have had to clean up behind another beekeeper!

I would not take the bulk of a swarm and leave the remains to upset passers by.

Any thoughts?

 

[Andre cardona]

i go out 7 or 8 pm to collet by 10 last ones in nuc no probs mite it be a cast left from same hive

 

[greatbritishhoney]

From a health and safety point of view you should treat each swarm as a separate situation and do a new risk assessment accordingly.
There isn't really a one-size-fits-all procedure.
However, I'd have thought the key thing is to restrict public access to the area where the swarm is. If you've got it into the skep (or whatever you are using) and you intend to leave it there until dusk then, from and H&S point of view, you really need to stay there to keep watch and make sure people stay away.

 

[Andre cardona]

that right

 

[m100]

You occasionally run into those that want the swarm in its box taking away straight away - despite informing them that they have the slight inconvenience of a nuc box in their garden and restricted access for a few hours with a collection when its nearly dark - or stragglers being a nuisance for many days. Its a fact that some members of the public are just thick - nothing will ever change that.

Not long ago I had just collected a swarm out of conifer hedge into a nuc, then when they saw I was leaving the nuc box on their lawn for a few hours until sunset (despite me mentioning it just 30 minutes before) they threw a wobbler saying I couldn't leave it. I came very close to dumping it back into the hedge and telling them to get someone else out who could magically get all the bees into the box on a sunny afternoon. Eventually they relented.

I went back to collect the swarm from the home of Mr & Mrs Tw@t at sunset, but Mr Tw@t decided to ring my mobile every few minutes from about 7pm but without leaving any message.

P.S. I'm not sure if they know it but I have very strong suspicions they live next to some drug dealers - I have a nose for things like that.

 

[susbees]

Got a call the other day from a wildlife trust asking me to contact a woman re a swarm and whose dog had been stung and treated by a vet. As I was about to get on a plane I contacted a couple of other beekeepers and hoped they could help.

I phoned the woman and was unimpressed to hear that a local beekeeper had gone out and shaken the swarm into the box at 3pm and without cutting the branches back or masking the smell and left saying the remaining bees would go home. That was two days previously and they were by now hungry and angry hence the poor collie had got out the back door and been badly stung.

When I find out who that beekeeper was....I have a first name and a place...

 

[nonstandard]

I collected a small swarm from a NHS property last week, I got the swarm in the skep on the floor, trimmed back some of the tree branches (about 15ft up) and liberally sprayed with NHS issue Neutrodol air freshener as I had forgotten my Febreeze.

The guy who had called me out then asked me to take the skep away as he had a coach full of elderly and disabled people due later. I explained about the remaining airborne bees hanging about but he was happier with that rather than flying bees and bees at ground level too.

I damped the air down with a hand water spray to try and drive as many into the skep as I could (that actually worked better than I expected), wrapped up the skep and wandered off.

 

[Leigh]

I made a one way entrance for my swarm box - once the majority of bees + Q are in, put the 1 way entrance on, and within 30 mins or so, the very vast majority are in. Entrance made with 3 porter bee escapes.

 

[Swarm]

You can only do what you are allowed to do if it's on someone's property. If they want it from there post haste, stragglers are their problem.

 

[beeatshellards]

I agree, I judge every swarm differently, I have never encountered anyone not willing to leave the skep I use for a pick up later on, most people are too fascinated by how the swarm is caught , they usually want to ask 100 or more questions then decide they want to become a beekeeper

 

[uppy]

swarm collection

hi iam a newbee but i do agree with the last post:

 

[For want of a better word]

I agree, I judge every swarm differently, I have never encountered anyone not willing to leave the skep I use for a pick up later on, most people are too fascinated by how the swarm is caught , they usually want to ask 100 or more questions then decide they want to become a beekeeper

​

got a fantastic new apiary site with a very enthusiastic chap last week just by picking up a swarm!

He is even going to put pavers down and start planting bee friendly plants!

Did hear of a swarm harrassing shoppers in one of Devon's stannery towns back in the summer

Apparently the swarm of enthusiastic Devonian Beeks attempting to bag "their" swarm outnumberd the bees!!!!!

 

[beeatshellards]

welcome uppy

 

[m100]

most people are too fascinated by how the swarm is caught , they usually want to ask 100 or more questions then decide they want to become a beekeeper

Yes, that type are in the majority and no problem, some of my best customers for honey have been found when I've gone to collect a swarm.

It's the others that are a PITA!

 

[user 6228]

From a health and safety point of view you should treat each swarm as a separate situation and do a new risk assessment accordingly.
.../QUOTE]
Thats why I beekeep with bare hands - it makes it easier to write Risk Assessments