Tricky swarm collection

[simonrp]

Bit of an awkward location today.
Halfway up a tiled roof it was always going to be difficult to sweep into a box whilst sitting on a ladder.
I managed to position a nuc alongside the cluster and they did appear to be quite keen so I left them to it for a couple of hours.
When I returned it looked promising with the cluster gone and a few bees flying in and out.
I sealed the entrance and got the nuc down to ground level but it felt pretty light.
Back at the apiary it was time to have a look and suprise suprise, only about thirty bees. Bugger!

In hindsight, I would hoover them off in this situation.

All a learning curve. And it has spurred me on tho make up the hoover box.

 

[susbees]

Long pole and an old brood comb...preferably with someone else holding it. Slow but works. Obviously better if the queen jumps aboard sharpish.

 

[oliver90owner]

Sure they are not underneath the tiles?

 

[Chris Luck]

Sure they are not underneath the tiles?

Yup, in the roof, my thoughts exactly....

....or even scouts, they can gather in several hundreds at a few different locations...

.....or even left behind bees if a swarm decided to move on, again several hundred possible.

Chris

 

[user 6228]

I would suggest that a 40L cardboard box is better than a 20L or less nuc. Remember that bee preferences are independent of the size of the swarm.
Dark, 40L, entrance at bottom , entrance less than 30sq cm facing south 5m off the ground.

 

[HM Honey]

I helped out on one last night that was hanging from a branch about 20feet up a tree. The problem was we couldnt get to the foot of the tree so had to come at them from the side of the busy road.

Picture this, two men at the side of a busy road, dressed like space men, one with a 30ft pole with a bucket at the end, the other with a 30ft pole with some secateurs at the end, trying to cut through a branch, with a ball of bees hanging from it......lol

People must have been driving past wondering what the hell was going on....

Got them though....