5: Four Ways To Get Bees
10LESSONS
Overview- How to get bees
Method 1: Buying a nucleus (nuc)
Method 2: Getting a split
Method 3: Catching a swarm
Method 4: Buying a package (featuring Michael Bush)
Bonus method: Setting up a bait hive [TEXT ONLY]
How to move a swarm [TEXT ONLY]
Races of Bees [TEXT ONLY]
A quick note about feeding [TEXT ONLY]
ASSESMENT (Optional)
Bonus method: Setting up a bait hive [TEXT ONLY]
5: Four Ways To Get Bees
One way to get bees is by attracting a swarm into an empty bait hive. This is most likely to work in the springtime, and in an area where there are already several beehives. You can use scents to help lure in a swarm that is looking for a new home.
- Bees tend to swarm during times when there is a heavy nectar flow, usually during spring and summer. Consult with local beekeepers to find out when bees in your area tend to swarm, and set your bait hive before this.
- Swarms tend to prefer to nest in cavities of approximately 40 liters that have small entrances. You can use a basket or barrel, or buy a swarm trap, but the easiest way is to catch them in the hive you intend to keep them in.
- Choose an area that has water, plenty of flowers and not much human activity. You can increase your chances of catching a swarm by setting multiple bait hives.
- Add a scented lure to the hive to help attract bees. You can create your own, simply by adding a few dabs of lemongrass oil to the bait hive. Other methods involve using a dead queen to make a lure, or buying ready-made lures that are scented with bee pheromones.
- Set your bait hive raised from the ground as high as you can while still being able to access it without much difficulty. Ensure that it has some shade, and the entrance is pointing toward the sun (south if you are in the Northern Hemisphere and north if you’re in the Southern Hemisphere).
- Leave your bait hive undisturbed for 2-3 weeks. When you come to check on it, observe it from a distance. Scout bees will inspect a potential new home for several days before deciding to move in, and you don’t want to interrupt them during this process.
- If you see that bees have taken up residence in your bait hive, leave them there for at least a week before inspecting or moving the hive. This will give them time to have eggs hatching, so they won’t leave the hive due to disturbance.
- Before approaching the hive, make sure you are wearing your full beesuit.
- Inspect the hive and look for eggs to ensure that the colony has a laying queen.
- If you want to move the hive, check out our “How to move a swarm” lesson.