Catching swarms: tips from experienced beekeepers

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Modern technologies and means of organizing the life of honey bees make it possible to achieve optimal results in the breeding of their colonies. Partly revolutionary were the methods of arranging frame hives. However, in former times, breeding of bee colonies was carried out by swarming. That is, the apiary expanded due to the settlement of wild individuals in dwellings. Nowadays, catching swarms as a way of breeding families is not so relevant, however, no one has canceled its effectiveness.

Of course, this technique carries some dangers, but subject to certain rules developed by experienced beekeepers, considerable benefits can be derived from it. At the same time, it is important to determine the goals of the “hunt”, since stray bees require a special approach in their further maintenance.

How to catch a swarm of bees?

The whole process of catching consists of two components - attracting and taming insects. The main instrument of this event is a house for a bee - most often a frame structure is used, although there are other options. But if such housing in providing home breeding can be used in a completely new, uninhabited form, then for working with stray individuals, an already used bee trap is preferable. DIYyou can also make a new house, but in this case, you will have to put in a lot of effort to make it really attractive to the swarm.

The presence of a smoker, face net and other devices are only some of the conditions that can increase the chances of successful fishing. Now it is worth considering in more detail the method of creating a trap recommended by experienced beekeepers.

Making bee traps

Typical scheme involves the use of four honeycomb frames that form the basis of the hive. The gaps between them are usually of the order of 12-13 mm. Frames are knocked together using bars and nails. Again, the standard plank format is 1x2x14 cm. If you correctly arrange the structural elements, you will get a reliable and strong trap for bees. It will not be difficult to make it with your own hands - the finished frames should be nailed with the help of bars to the base of the future hive. The third bar will act as a stiffening element - it should be nailed obliquely with respect to the frame. It is recommended to additionally connect the central parts of the extreme bars with a cord, which will also give the house strength.

How to equip hives for bees?

Stray bees, like their domestic relatives, are very sensitive to nutrition. Therefore, the internal filling of the house is a responsible task. And it is for this reason that many experts advise using inhabited hives for “hunting”. But not every beginner beekeeper has such equipment. Accordingly, in most cases, catching swarms is carried out using newhouses that should be properly provided with food and accessories.

Without fail, each new hive is completed with frames with honeycombs, food and foundation. The volume of the filling should be selected depending on the size of the notch. After the insects fill the free surfaces of the frames, it will be possible to reconsider the provision of the trap. It should also be borne in mind that catching swarms involves fumigation with a smoker. By the way, the absence of habitable hives does not at all cancel the possibility of placing a new frame with the existing brood. In addition, if there is no fodder frame, then under the canvas you can give honey full in a cellophane bag.

Where to place the trap?

The best option is if you initially have a rough idea of the behavior of local bees, as well as their possible routes. Do not think that the swarm behaves unpredictably. Even wild individuals often develop their own habits, also due to weather conditions. The hive should be placed where a swarm of bees usually flies, or even delays occur. As experienced beekeepers note, honey insects avoid open windy areas, but they love ravines, the outskirts of forests, beams, clearings and other places devoid of the influence of strong gusts of wind.

Direct installation of trap houses should be carried out on trees. In this case, it is not at all necessary to leave the letochki open. Excessive demonstration of the trap in this case is useless. Moreover, catching swarms showsthe greatest success in cases of camouflaged hives. You should also consider a reliable fixation of the structure, since the slightest vibrations and vibrations of the house can scare away the bees. As for the methods of fastening, it is desirable to use soft straps without nails and other hardware that can be easily removed without disturbing the bees.

Optimal timing for setting the trap

The best hunting conditions are from May to August. Therefore, to prepare for the event should be already in the middle of spring. A full cycle usually takes 2-3 months, but the specific time depends on the success of the catch and the requirements of the beekeeper. For example, experts in this matter can make several relocations of captured families within a month. After each withdrawal, the chances of another success increase, as bee hives become more attractive for new “tramps” with settlement.

For regular updates, it is necessary to monitor the appearance of new swarms in a timely manner. You should not hope that the bees will linger in the house for a long time - it is extremely important to pinpoint the exact moments of settling the hives.

Number of traps

This figure is determined by the needs of the particular farm and the time that the beekeeper can devote to monitoring traps. And not always a large number of entrances is installed in order to attract the appropriate number of bees. Often, places that are promising from the point of view of “hunting” are checked in this way, which further simplifies this process. It happens that catching wandering swarms with a dozen hives does not give anyresult, and sometimes with the right choice of location, even one house will enrich the apiary for several families per season. That is, in essence, the number of hives does not matter if the beekeeper correctly controls the trap set in the right place.

How to remove the trap?

It will not be difficult to understand that the letok is inhabited by wild bees - it will be visible even from a distance of several meters. In extreme cases, you can listen to the house and find out if insects have settled there. If this happens, it is necessary to begin the procedure for removing the hive. It is recommended to shoot the notch in the evening, after the sun has gone behind the clouds. Then the trap falls to the ground and moves to the apiary.

Following actions depend on the purpose for which the bee swarms were caught in their natural habitat. As a rule, already in the apiary, new families are formed from newly arrived individuals. But it is also possible to add a swarm to the existing brood. It is equally important to decide on the further use of the trap hive. It can also be used as a notch for caught bees or re-installed in the "hunt" area.

Conclusion

Despite the delicacy of the process of catching and its unpredictability, success in the form of catching at least one swarm is quite possible even for a beginner. In this case, much depends on the surrounding conditions and unforeseen circumstances. It should also be understood that catching swarms with traps is only one of the stages in achieving the main task - enriching the apiary and strengthening existing families.

Very important is the question of how the captured swarm will be able to meet the expectations placed on it. After all, there are situations when new bees bring diseases or simply fly away. It is in such manifestations that the dangers that lie in fishing for swarms in the wild lie. But in fairness, we can say that breeding families at home is not free from such risks, although, of course, to a completely different extent.