So, how do you find the Queen under that lump of bees in the top of a tree?
Or is that how you disperse a hive? Do you use some pheromone?
Or is that how you disperse a hive? Do you use some pheromone?
Well, in the case of a swarm, I am not concerned with *finding* the queen, you know that she is in the middle of that ball of bees, which is why they are in a ball -- to protect her and keep her warm.
This particular swarm decided to gather in this tree, which was just outside the front door of this little 90-year-old lady's home. She was frozen in fear that she would be stung and killed.
The swarm was about 12 feet above the ground, and I wanted to get every bee possible because of her concerns, so I got up on a step ladder and vacuumed them up with the bee vac. I started at the bottom of the ball, and about 15 minutes later I was done. I could tell once I had the queen in the capture box because the bees started voluntarily flying down the hose because they were following her pheromone.
We do place pheromone, or lemongrass oil which mimics queen pheromone, into swarm traps to try to catch one that might be in the area. Have 4 traps up in a 5 mile radius of my house, but haven't caught a swarm in one yet. Trying to get permission to trap my husband's golf club course because he has seen a couple of swarms go by while playing.
Had the swarm been closer to the ground, or further from this lady's door, I would probably have just put a hive box under the ball and grabbed the ball of bees and dropped them in the box. Once the queen goes in, the rest of the bees that may be straying around will follow.