Establish A Colony Of Your Dream
Now that you have built and placed your hive, it is time to establish a colony in it. There are a few ways to obtain a colony: buy one, have one given to you, or catch a swarm and establish it in your hive.
It is most likely that you will purchase your first colony. If you would rather not purchase your first colony, the other common option is to attract a natural swarm.
Swarming is when a group of bees will leave the hive due to it becoming too crowded. Sometimes, the swarm is started by the queen, but it is usually a decision of the workers. The swarm is actually the formation of a new colony, breaking off from the old.
Although intimidating in appearance, honeybee swarms are usually quite docile during this initial period, due mainly to the fact that they are concentrating on finding a new home and having no young to protect. Even so, should a swarm feel threatened or endangered, it may become aggressive. Swarms can usually be seen hanging off of a tree branch.
The honeybees may remain there for a few days until they find their new home. Swarming can leave honeybees quite vulnerable, since the only food that they have is what they were able to bring with them in their stomachs, and, if a suitable home is not found quickly, the bees will starve.
Again, it is up to the scout to find the perfect location and persuade the rest of the colony to follow. Some experienced beekeepers see a swarm as an opportunity to add another hive to their apiary. In fact, a successful capture of a swarm is fairly commonplace.
Swarms may be caught by simply capturing them in a box called a nuc. Swarm traps are also available, or the swarm may be sprayed with a sugar solution, and then shaken off its branch onto a white sheet with the nuc sitting on it. The bees will see the nuc opening and walk in. This works best on a sunny day.
Some keepers will also collect swarms using suction pumps. Due to the fact that it is best for only experienced beekeepers to catch swarms, capture methods have been touched on here only briefly. Should you find a swarm that you want to start a hive with, you should have an experienced person with you to do the capture. This is not only for your safety, but for the bees’ safety as well.
- Do you know how to move swarm? Read HERE
For the beginning beekeeper, it is best to purchase your bees from a reputable dealer or keeper in your area, some of whom may have a hive available for purchase. The best way to deal with your purchased bees and get them into the hive would be to follow the directions that should have been sent with the bees.
If you believe that you will still have a problem, it could help to contact another beekeeper who would be able to either transfer the bees into the hive for you or guide you through the process yourself. Although you may be charged for the assistance you are being given, remember that a few dollars out of pocket at the outset beats losing all your bees because you did not do it properly.
Learn 5 ways to get bees and establish a colony!
Originally posted 2020-10-01 19:27:07.
