The beauty of a Wild Bee Swarm: Tutorial with pictures on HOW TO start a colony

Hi All, Just to let you know that I was called last week that a bee swarm was "AIRBORN" . Most of the times people get really scared of that, which not necessary at all. Later on that!

OK , I went on to have a look. The bees were flying at a school yard and setting home for a large tree.

The video below shows how a colony of bees looks when they are ALL flying in search for a new place to live.

At this stage they are not scary, while they do not have a hive to protect, nor honey, nor brood: When a colony of bees becomes larger and exceeds in honey storage, they'll divide in two. Roughly half of the bees will fill their honey stomachs with honey and leave their hive along with their queen. So they have their stomachs filled with honey, before they left, to be able to survive for over three days. So when we encounter them, most of the times, they are just on their way and their stingers are not used. :-)

They settled in a tree:

When I try to catch the Swarm, I make use of a traditional straw Skep. It is a safe place for the bees on the way home to their new house. This day, it took some time to get them in the skep, but after that I took them home and let them settle in a cool a dark place for 2 nights. This is to give them focus: While they are in Swarm mood, their oriented outwards (looking for new homes like trees, cavities etc.), I would like them to concentrate on the next step, living with the queen and building wax comb for the new eggs to raise new bees. By giving them a dark and cool space they focus internally to the colony and to the queen.

Hiving the swarm
I put them in an "einraumbeute" a hive specially dedicated to the well being of the colony by giving them a large comb space, without obstacles, like with the traditional American or EU hives. This hive is for the BEES, not for the beekeeper. Also, the honey they'll collect is for them as winter food. Only next year in spring, I will look if there is something left for myself.

Step 1: Do you see the swarm sitting, quietly and calm in the Skep?

Step 2: So, let's open the hive. I take of the box with wood clippings (use to isolate the hive and also works against humidity) and take of a part of the clothing.

Step 3: I took out the frames and sprayed them with sugar water, to get them to find the top of the hive to build their new wax combs. And then, I openend the SKEP and give them two hits with my hand, so that the bees fall in the skep. I then POUR them slowly and gently in the box.

Step 4: they are fine: Do you see them walking around on the top of the frame? I closed it up with with cloth and put back on the wood shavings box.

Step 5: They are now spreading the queens pheromone to get everybody inside.

Step 6: nice living!!!

That's all Steemians, Let me know if you have questions or own examples!

Sources:
All pictures and videos are recorded by @beesteem.
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