Swarm Capture

Описание: In this video, we examine the necessary skills for swarm capture using four different techniques. We start with shaking a swarm into a prepared hive. We then address a high swarm using a pair of bucket pole techniques (bump and queen throne). Lastly, we do a quick and easy capture using a bucket grab.

Always wear appropriate PPE during swarm captures, and isolate unprotected people away from the area. Stay on the ground whenever practical, many beekeepers have been seriously injured by falling during an attempted swarm capture.

Swarms generally seek a hive space with 40 liters or 10 gallons of area. However, be warned, frames of foundation and frames of drawn comb are EXCLUDED from the bee math, so if you had a 10-frame deep with 5 frames of foundation, the box would possess 40L of space, but the bees would only see 20L as available. This is why I used the wired foundationless frames in the double-nuc-box capture we started with. It is equally why I was able to use mostly foundation in the top box of the high swarm's capture, and was able to use drawn comb and food frames for the top box with the bucket capture.

All of these methods require going back and adding frames to the empty bottom box on a later date, or removing the bottom box. I usually average four days later for my return trip. I also will generally remove unused foundationless frames and replace them with foundation frames at that time. Occasionally they build some comb into the empty bottom box space, but this is usually scant and easily removed. The hive can also be reversed at this point. Often I will make the swarm a single, and then place a queen excluder and super of foundation on top, often getting a nice drawn and loaded honey super for my efforts later in the year.

Adding a single drawn comb is highly recommended, regardless of volume math, because it really helps the swarms stick.

Good luck and happy beeking.

00:00 Introduction
01:08 Shaking into a Prepared Hive
04:37 Try Again
09:32 High Swarms, Bucket Pole Techniques
10:09 Bump Method
12:14 Queen Throne Method
17:53 Bucket Capture
19:27 Summary