Post by Jeremy Kosciuch on May 26, 2010 18:19:27 GMT -5
Perhaps the oldest and easiest (as well as cheapest) ways to acuire bees is by keeping your peepers peeled during swarming season, which is any time of strong nectarflow, usually spring, but this can vary, and in tropical areas it could be any time of year. A swarm is a large clump of bees looking for a new home. Non agressive, the best way (if you can reach) is to shake, scoop or brush them into a box. be sure to get the queen if you dont know you will when more bees are goin in the box than coming out. Most of the time boxing a swarm makes em happy. Right now you may be thinking scoop? shake? brush? won't this make them angry? Not really, they are probably full and just looking for a home, no brood, not defensive. However beware the swarm that has been in one place for more than a day or so, these girls may have started building comb in the open out of necessity. Even the gentlest bee will be hyper defensive under these conditions. get em in the box be sure it has ventilation, a lot of it. a couple thousand 1/8 in holes or easier a couple patches of screen or netting sewn to the box. dont want em gettin out in the car!. Take em home, pour em in a hive at dusk and walk away.
You aint got away scott free yet, though, the real trick is to keep those bees alive, not get more bees when they die. If you can do that, you are a beekeeper.
You aint got away scott free yet, though, the real trick is to keep those bees alive, not get more bees when they die. If you can do that, you are a beekeeper.