Swarming is the process in which the queen with a part of the worker bees and drones leaves the hive to create a new family. If, after the separation of the queen with a part of the insects, there are still many bees in the house, it is possible that several more subgroups form. But, they consist of a barren queen and toiler bees.
What is a bee swarm
A swarm is a part of the bee colony that has left the hive. Each swarm has its own queen leader. Most of the family is occupied by toilers of honey plants. The rest of the drones, whose function is to fertilize the queen.
When a swarm separates, individuals choose a side for flight depending on weather conditions. The main goal is to choose a new suitable housing. Scout insects are the first to fly out. They choose a future new home. If the swarm is strong, it settles on the upper branches of trees. Weakened bees choose places closer to the ground. These can be animal burrows or other nooks and crannies.
Why catch a swarm
The captured swarm of bees helps to enlarge the apiary. Since the swarms are rapidly increasing the number of individuals. In addition, catching new inhabitants of the bee farm is fun and allows you to increase the amount of bribe.
Wild swarms are considered the most valuable. Stray bees are different:
- high efficiency;
- resistance to many diseases that domesticated individuals are susceptible to;
- not subject to weather conditions.
Important:
Modern beekeepers try to prevent swarming so as not to lose insects. Therefore, the old ways of catching individuals are almost never used.
By adding a wandering swarm of bees to the apiary, it is possible to form new strong hives with a different genotype. Catching swarms of bees benefits not only humans, but also the detached bee colony. Since many individuals leaving the apiary do not always find new housing and die by winter. In such cases, fishing saves their lives.
How to trap a swarm
Successfully catching swarms of bees with traps will help grow your insect farm. However, the question arises of how to catch a swarm of bees and what is required for this. First of all, you need a trap box. To do this, take an ordinary wooden box and put frames in it. A wooden house can be bought or made with your own hands. The finished structure is installed on a tree. For installation, you need to prepare a rope, ladder and wire.
Fixing the trap begins with choosing the right crop. First, they examine it and choose a shaded place. Then, proceed to the installation of the box:
- the box is wrapped with rope;
- climbs a tree;
- fixed with a rope to the branches;
- additionally reinforced with wire.
It is important to securely fix the box so that it is not blown away by strong gusts of wind. After installing it, the beekeeper walks around the culture again to make sure that the installed structure is not visible.
How to find a suitable trap spot
To catch a swarm of bees in an empty hive, you need to choose the right place for its installation. Catching a swarm in your yard is not always possible. Although experienced beekeepers have succeeded. The best places to trap bees are in the forest, garden and fields.
In the woods
Most often, stray bees swarm in trees growing in a forest plantation. Therefore, you need to choose a suitable plant and install the box at a height of 5-6 meters. If it is not possible to fix the box so high, you can install it at a height of 3 meters.
To install the box, a high and branched culture is chosen. It should not be very noticeable, but it should withstand persistently strong gusts of wind. Oak or pine works well. If the tree is close to honey plants.
Near the field
If there are no forests nearby, you can catch the swarm in the field. It is on the flowering fields that bees come to collect nectar. For catching queens with a family, a box is installed at the edge of the selected area.
In the garden
If it is impossible to install boxes in the forest or near the field, you can try to hunt for the bee colony in the garden. The trap is set on a tree during flowering of fruit crops. Bee workers collect nectar from fruit inflorescences. Therefore, they choose one of the fruit plants and mount a box on it for catching a swarm.
In the absence of fruit on the site, the bait can be installed on a linden tree. When the linden tree blooms, bees come to collect nectar from it.
Fishing without a trap
When swarming begins, beekeepers are on duty near the hive in order to catch a new family. But what to do if the bees managed to leave the house and began to swarm in the trees. To catch them you will need:
- a grid called a swarm;
- empty bee house;
- spray bottle with water;
- stepladder, pole and hook.
When the swarm sits on a branch, the beekeeper climbs the ladder and sprinkles the insects with water. Then, the swarm is fixed on the pole. They hook a branch with a hook and shake it off into a net. The beekeeper should try to shake as many wet bees into the swarm the first time.
If the queen falls into the net, the rest of the bees will fly after her. Therefore, the swarm is left hanging for 2-3 hours. During this time, the remaining workers and drones will gather next to the queen. After they can be moved to a pre-prepared house.
Colonies catching is facilitated if individuals swarm near the ground. In this case, the beekeeper only needs to sprinkle the bees with water and collect them with a scoop in a net.
How to lure bees into an empty hive
It is not necessary to set a trap to catch a wandering family in the hive. You can use a manufactured wooden house. This will greatly simplify the work of the beekeeper to catch the swarm. To plant a colony in an empty hive, you will need:
- take an empty single-hull bee house;
- install 6 frames with foundation in it. If there are more frames, only a small swarm will populate the hive. And if you take less than 6, a large family will fly by;
- the walls of the house are treated with an attractive smell for the bee. For stray individuals, a structure is made from old wood. And those at home prefer frames made of new material;
- the house is installed in the chosen place and is no longer moved. Since the scouts of the bees could spot a new dwelling. And because of the rearrangement, they will fly by and will not settle.
After installing a new bee house, it is regularly checked. If the swarm has settled, at first it is not disturbed. It is necessary to give the individuals time to get used to and get used to the new housing.
Bee bait
Modern beekeepers treat scions with specific veterinary agents to attract swarms. They affect the bee instincts. Often, baits are made from extracts of pheromones geranyl, citral and dissolved glandular particles. In addition to the main components, additional substances are used:
- stabilizer hexane;
- nerolytic acid;
- geranium acid.
The effect of veterinary medications largely depends on how quickly pheromones evaporate. In addition, the beekeeper must position the bait correctly in order to catch the swarm. It is also important that the box is moisture-proof and pre-painted.
As for popular baits, there are several drugs that have gained popularity among beekeepers. We will consider them in more detail below.
Apiroi
Veterinary medicine made for catching swarms during insect migration. Apiroi is a white gelatinous consistency. The drug has no contraindications and no side effects. The composition of the tool contains:
- geranium and central;
- geranic and nerolic acids;
- stabilizer Phenosan-43;
- phenyl ethers.
Field tests have shown Apira attracts swarms 50% higher than other forms. The simulator has no negative impact on beekeeping products. Apply a veterinary medication in the amount of 2 teaspoons of gel per house. After applying the drug, the box is checked every 2 days.
Uniroi
Uniry is another effective drug that helps to catch bee colonies and queen bees separately. The gel is made from synthetic attractants and natural fragrant components. Before the queen is planted, a drop of medication is dripped onto her abdomen and a little honey is smeared. After processing, the uterus is seated in the middle of the nest.
We use a uniform for catching bee colonies and spray the scion in a circle. For internal processing of the box, 1 gram of the drug is required.
Apimil
The veterinary drug is made from the extract of pheromones of honey bees. Apimil works well during swarming, promotes the settling of the family into the hive and prevents them from migrating to another site. At the beginning of the swarming, the beekeeper takes 13 teaspoons of veterinary medicine and spreads the scion. The bait is renewed daily until the swarming process is completed.
After attracting a swarm, the drug is reapplied after 10 days. And in order to keep the bee colony in the new hive, the box is treated with Apimil from the inside. This remedy is recommended for novice beekeepers. Due to its ease of use and high performance.
A beekeeper can catch a swarm of bees even in his own garden. The main thing is to properly organize the trap and install it during the flowering period of fruit trees. Moreover, if a linden tree grows near the house, the chance to catch a wandering swarm is large. But remember, it is not enough just to catch a new bee colony, it will take some more insects to get used to it. And only after that we can talk about the successful settlement of stray bees.
