catching a swarm

[Alicia]

Hello.
I'm on my way to beekeeping,just need bees.
I have a co-worker who has a swarm, uninvited at her house. Hope and when is the best time to go get them? They are quiet now, prob due to winter.
Thanks
Alicia

 

[Maggiesdad]

Hmmm... an intriguing postulation! Need more input.

And I, beeing a total bee noob, have absolutely no leg to stand on to be offering you advice. But what the heck - here goes nothing!

When you say "uninvited at her house", do you mean IN her house? Like in the the walls uninvited???

When you say "swarm", I'm assuming you mean "colony" - because swarming is a phenomenon associated with warmer weather and nectar flow.

Is the friend local to you? What are the daytime high temps around there this time of year?

Have you decided what hive style you are going to be working with?

Local bees that are thriving on their own are good bees to start with.

 

[Alicia]

Okay...here goes.
Uninvited because they took residence in the eve of her house, outside the bathroom window, haven't seen them but sounds like they are under some siding.
She is about 25-30miles away from me, work together I just live in the boonies.
Day temps are about 40-45 now, have and can dip to 20. Not forecasted to drop low for about a week.
Yes colony...not swarm. Prob have been watching too much YouTube. Lol.

 

[Alicia]

10 frame double deep hive, no honey supers yet. Ordered yesterday.
Thanks for the help.

 

[Maggiesdad]

Ugh... I was afraid that you were gonna say they were in her house! Fears realized. Wow.

Um, ok - this is like you saying you want me to teach you the violin, and you want to play a concerto, and I'm still working on 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' myself!

Do you two, (or significant others) have mad carpentry/renovation skills?
'cuz, pretty much the way it would work would be to cut into the eave and siding, expose the colony, remove the honey and brood, place cut brood comb in your waiting deeps, beespaced nicely, leaning to one side with the lovely queen on them, and all the bees with her, remove that to your place, clean up and repair her house, retire home and enjoy the honey while you recuperate from all the stings you received, lol.

This would happen in the spring. Have you made friends with you local beek association? You need friends that have done this before...

Back to your hive, remove the empty old brood comb from the deeps, admire your lovely colony working on your frames.

 

[hilarie]

Call me when this happens. I want to watch.

 

[Maggiesdad]

(in best Ed Sullivan voice) We have a really big shew tonight, folks.

 

[Alicia]

Okay...this can be done. Husband owns his own general contracting business..he is awesome!!!
Epi pens...just in case...check. Craziness....check and check. Now just for the spring to get here. Lol.
Will admit a little concerned for her house, bees have been there almost 8 months...

 

[Alicia]

Now darling hubby is backing out...he says too difficult when we are just starting with the bees.

 

[babsbag]

Sorry, I agree with DH. I have collected a swarm from a tree and that was hard enough. The bees in a colony will be very protective of their home and they won't like you cutting and sawing on their "hive". I am not sure that any amount of smoke is going to keep them happy. Personally I wouldn't volunteer for the job, buy some packaged bees, much easier way to start.