Swarm Bag
By: Mike Champlin
Catching swarms (free bees) is sometimes an unexpected opportunity that happens when I’m not at home. Friends may call me about a swarm and I have to move fast. So for the past few years, I’ve carried this pop-up mesh laundry bag in my pickup as part of my emergency swarm catcher kit. It’s very useful if the swarm can easily be reached from the ground or I can also place a frame of comb out for the bees to collect on then move them into the bag together. The bag folds up and takes no space in my truck, and unzips either on top or from the side for easy access to carefully drop the swarm inside. Being fully vented, it keeps the swarm from overheating during transit. Since it zips shut it also works really well for transporting a package or nuc of bees so they don’t make driving too hazardous (backseat driver bees).
If you have any questions or comments about using your own swarm bag, I can be contacted at blindbeehoney@gmail.com.
Swarm Catcher
By: Mike Champlin
Swarm traps are bait hives to attract a swarm – but sometimes the swarms end up in trees and I’ll want to retrieve them before they take off again in search of their permanent home. Here is a DIY swarm catcher that I built using a Pro Nuc box and an extendable painters pole.
I screw a 24’ long extension pole that I normally use for washing windows into a ¾” paint roller fitting that is attached to the side of a lightweight plastic ProNuc box. I used a couple of u-bolts and metal plates to stabilize and reinforce the plastic sidewall.
Inside of the nuc box, I’ve attached an old brood comb frame so the swarm is attracted and has a landing spot to collect on once they’re inside the box. I’ll raise the swarm catcher up underneath the swarm and gently shake them off the limb into the nuc box. After the swarm is inside the vented box, I lower it down and put the lid on for transport back to my apiary. Then, I can easily transfer the swarm to a permanent box by shifting the frame of bees (and queen) over into their new hive. The extension pole allows me to reach 24’ and sometimes I’ll use it from the bed of my pickup if the swarm is higher.
If you have any questions or comments about building your own swarm catcher, I can be contacted at blindbeehoney@gmail.com.
Scions
By: Mike Champlin
I’m getting ready for swarm season by making some Russian Scions (swarm magnets). These scions are different from swarm traps or bait boxes. When bees swarm from their hive box, they usually will go a short distance and collect on a nearby tree to wait for the scout bees to direct them to the new hive location (hopefully one of my traps?). Most of the time they pick a spot 20-50’ up in a tree… which is not convenient for me. I have found that for whatever reason (pheromones?), most swarms coming from my apiaries tend to collect in the same trees, sometimes even on the same branches that other swarms have gone onto before. The scion is placed near the apiary’s favorite tree to “lure” the swarm to collect there as a more convenient (for me) temporary waiting spot.
To make these scions, I wrap burlap around a center piece of 2×4 then dip it into melted beeswax & propolis to act as a lure. The center piece is mounted under a bucket lid so the wax dipped burlap stays dry and shaded to help it last longer. The bucket lid is reinforced on top and bottom with pieces of plywood to better hold the weight of the swarm, and it also adds weight to keep the scion from swinging in the wind. It’s all screwed together using an eye bolt from the top into the 2×4. I then attach a rope to the eye bolt and that allows me to pull the scion up into place right at the bees preferred landing spot in a tree. Once a swarm has settled onto the scion, I can easily lower it right into a vented bucket to move them into a new hive box avoiding possibly losing one of my colonies altogether.
If you have any questions or comments about making your own scion station, I can be contacted at blindbeehoney@gmail.com.
