Bee Swarm Removal - List of Providers

Burnsy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 2:32 pm

It is coming up to swarm season again and I know plenty of people pay to have swarms removed or destroyed. This thread is for a list of Backyard Farming members who are looking for swarms so may be able to help people who come home to find a swarm outside their back door.

I will start it off:

Mike - swarm removal in the south eastern Perth metro area. Phone 0409 312 907
I may also be able to help out people who want a captured swarm within a hive, ie you want to buy a hive with a new swarm PM me for this and I will put you on a list to contact when and if I have a hive and swarm available.

Simo · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 7:45 pm

Would it be possible to remove a swam from the base of a tree? The hive is under ground and the opening only about 5cm wide? I don't want them gone as they are welcome pollinators, I was just curious as I would have thought it was a real prick of a job.

dufflight · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 8:33 pm

If you put a empty hive box over the top of it so they had to move through the box would they move in.

Burnsy · **Posted:** Wed Aug 24, 2011 10:51 pm

It is possible, it is called a trap out. You first however need a box full of frames from another hive that have brood already laid into it. You then create a reverse funnel of flywire out of the existing hive entrance (tree) making sure the only entrance is the end of the funnel and it needs to be tight for a bee to get through. You place the new hive full of brood with it's entrance as close to the old entrance as possible (inches). Worker bees should go out to forage and when returning they can not get into the hive so will go into the other hive. As there is no queen the bees will rear a new queen from the existing brood that has been laid. Once all the bees are out of the tree hive only the queen will be left and it can then be sealed up. I have never done it but plan on having a go this year with a tree hive near my dad's block if the owner will let me.

It is much better to catch a swarm to get started simo and leave the bees in the tree until you have a few active hives already. You can read more about trap outs here
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,20301.0.html

earthbound · **Posted:** Sun Aug 28, 2011 10:34 pm

Would the bees send out some new swarms from the existing underground hive? I'm not really up with my bee knowledge...

If it's anything like Fayes place, just provide a wooden box of any size and shape, then wait a little while, before you know it, it's full of bees whether you want them or not..

Burnsy · **Posted:** Mon Aug 29, 2011 11:55 am

From what I have read most colonies swarm each year as it is their way of populating. They won't however swarm if there is enough room in their existing hive and the colony is small or weak. There are ways of stopping swarming within your hives by manipulating the frames of brood.

Simo · **Posted:** Sun Jan 15, 2012 11:14 am

Hey Burnsy, if you want to try a trap out let me know, my tree base hive is getting bigger and the bees are becoming a problem as it is too close to the gate to the house paddock and where the kids play. Also interestingly they seem to have discovered the pollard in my horses feed and are covering it is such numbers the horses can't eat during day light hours.

Backyard Farming Forum
Bringing food production home