Swarm Season: How to Safely and Successfully Capture a Bee Swarm
It’s officially swarm season, and I’m about to help a friend catch a swarm in Chico, CA. Since swarming is a natural and fascinating part of a honey bee’s life cycle, I thought it would be a great time to share some tips on how to go about capturing a swarm safely and effectively.
Assessing the Situation: Safety First
The first thing to remember is that every swarm is unique, so it’s crucial to take the time to assess the situation before jumping in. Safety should always be your top priority when capturing a swarm—no swarm is worth risking injury to yourself or others. Start by determining whether it’s even worth attempting the capture. If the swarm is in a precarious location or if you’re not confident in your ability to capture it safely, it might be better to let it go.
Gathering the Necessary Equipment
Before you start, make sure you have all the essential equipment on hand. You’ll need a container to capture the swarm—this could be a nuc box, a cardboard box, a 5-gallon bucket, or any other lightweight container that’s easy to handle. You’ll also need protective gear, like a bee suit or veil, to protect yourself from stings. A bee brush can be helpful for gently guiding bees into the container, and while not always necessary, it’s a good idea to have a smoker on hand in case you need to calm the bees.
Preparing for the Catch
The swarm I’m about to capture is clustered nicely about 12 feet up in a tree. To reach them, I’ll need a tall ladder and either a nuc box or a 5-gallon bucket to either scoop or shake the bees into. It’s important to choose a container that is light and easy to hold since you’ll likely be working with one hand to scoop or shake the bees and the other to hold the container.
Ideally, you want to position the swarm-catching container directly underneath the cluster. This way, when you shake or scoop the bees, the majority of them will fall directly into the container. Some bees will undoubtedly fly up and out, but they’ll be attracted to the queen’s pheromones and will eventually try to rejoin her in the container.
Handling Difficult Swarms
Not all swarms cluster in convenient locations. If the swarm is spread out over a bush with many small branches or is awkwardly positioned on the side of a house, it can be helpful to lay a light-colored sheet beneath the swarm. This makes it easier to spot any bees that fall to the ground, and if you have a keen eye for spotting queens, it may help you locate her if she falls. If you do spot the queen, you can place her in a queen cage to prevent her from flying away, which will encourage the rest of the bees to join her in the container.
Waiting for the Bees to Settle
After the initial capture, you might find that not all the bees have made it into the container. If a large number of bees are still flying around, or if you weren’t able to get most of them in the first attempt, it’s best to leave the container near the original clustering area. The stragglers will eventually be drawn to the queen’s pheromones and make their way into the container. Sometimes this process happens quickly, but other times it can take hours, so it’s often best to leave them alone for a while to sort it out.
When Bees Have a Mind of Their Own
It’s important to remember that sometimes bees have their own plans. After a shake, they might return to their original cluster location. In such cases, you can try again or simply let nature take its course—sometimes swarms just don’t want to be caught.
We’ll see how things go with this particular swarm. If all goes well and I get most of the bees into the container, I might suggest leaving the container there for a few hours. If everything looks good, we’ll transport the bees to my friend’s backyard and introduce them to the hive she has set up for them. Fingers crossed for a smooth and successful swarm catch!