Catching a Swarm

Have you ever wanted to catch a swarm but weren’t sure how to do it?  Here’s an easy walk-through! You’ll know the bees are swarming when you see a cloud of them flying in one spot. Don’t be afraid!  Bees are the calmest when they are swarming. If you watch and wait, you’ll see them start to settle on a branch or some other protected area.  Just wait until they have mostly gathered in one spot. You can use a box or anything that will hold them. If they are on a branch, place the box under the branch and give it one hard shake. The bees will fall into the box. Then you can shake more to get the last stragglers in. Place the box on the ground with a quarter open to let the others get in.  It’s very important that you get the queen. If you don’t have a queen, the bees won’t stay in your box. If you’re not sure, give them some time to see if they come out of your box and go back to the tree. You may see stragglers coming in and landing where the swarm was, but if the bees are staying in your box, you probably have the queen. You won’t get all the bees most likely unless you can wait until nightfall to remove the box. Take your box and dump them in your hive and let them settle for a couple of days. After a few days have passed, you can do an inspection and make sure you have your queen. When you find your queen, mark her if she hasn’t been marked already. Even though the bees are most docile while swarming, you should always wear your protective equipment while collecting them. Congratulations! You now have a new beehive!