So I got on the swarm removal lists for Fayette, Spalding, and Pike Counties yesterday. I live in Fayette and am pretty close to Spalding and Pike, so hopefully I can nab a swarm or two. I’ve never caught a swarm, but from what I understand it’s not too hard, and it’s a great way to get some good bees. I’m going to try to build this swanky bee-vac and see how it goes.
The way it works is that bees swarm in the spring and summer as their natural method of reproduction. Basically they grow a new queen. Then the old queen leaves with half the bees to find a new home. The first thing the swarm does is to settle on something.
So while you have a big clump of bees sitting there, scout bees leave the cluster and go look for a new home. If a scout bee finds a suitable place, she flies back and tries to convince the swarm to follow her to move in.
The time spent waiting varies from hours to days, and this is the time to recover the swarm and give them a nice place to live. Once the bees pick a new home, it becomes a little more difficult to move them.
When someone notices the swarm hanging on or near their property, the initial reaction is usually fear and panic. They snatch up their kids, run inside, lock all the doors and windows, and make a flustered call to 911 or the national guard. Eventually they are put through to the county extension service. The extension agent has a list of beekeepers and passes along the name and contact info of someone to come and remove the swarm – and the whole point of this exercise is that I’m hoping this person will be me as often as possible. .
-Brian