KS2, first question the answer is that I wait until I see pollen coming in on workers and then close at night and move to a bee yard. Second question is related. They will be in a deep hive body box, so once they are in their new location it is just a matter of switching boxes. The old frames in the box serve multiple purposes, one of which is to help them stay straight. They might not, so I open them a couple of days after moving and check that they have not cross combed. At that time I will replace empty frames with drawn comb if I have them and if not, new frames with foundation. On your last question I would either try a trap out or wait and see if they cast a swarm. Collecting a swarm is different than catching a swarm, IMO. If you want to catch one they cast, going further away is better than close. I prefer at least a half mile.

You are correct. I put mine at eye level for me which is 6 feet, give or take. But I like up on a flat roof if one is around. They don't have to be high, it probably helps, and it definitely doesn't hurt. Top of a wood fencepost works fine too. Just don't set them on the ground.

Oh, KS2, if you get supers use two boxes per trap. Studies have shown that most swarms will pass on a super sized cavity. A deep box is more appropriately sized for their needs. Again, others might catch them with smaller boxes, but why go small when research shows us the average size preferred?

I would like to set them on a stump but they are too visible to two legged varmints so Most end up getting set on the ground. Still I get swarms.

My first hive went queenless and had a laying worker and nothing but drone brood, It turned into a mite hotel. I would not of put those bees in a good hive, mostly drones anyway.

I have one hive still alive for now and living on sugar bricks and two nucs I have yet to check but I fear they are gone.
Have two packages coming in Late April, love to shake me some bee's

For laying workers, I say workers because if there is one there are usually other in the same hive. They don't decide to become laying workers. This happens when the pheromones of the queen is no longer present in the hive. The ovaries in worker bees enlarge and become active. However she is only laying drone eggs. A good way to solve the problem is to stack the hive body containing the laying work on top of a hive with a queen. Place screen wire between the two hives and make sure the hive on top and the hive on bottom both have their own entrance to get in and out. Leave them this way for 2-3 weeks.
The pheromones from the hive with the true queen will drift up through the hive with the laying workers causing their ovaries to shrink and egg production stop. Once again she is just a worker. After 2-3 weeks check for eggs in the laying worker box and if none are found remove the screen wire from between the two hives. The bees will combine together fine because they all have the smell of the same queen on them.

we have top bar warre hives,anybody else use these.

I have built a couple warres but never put bees in them.

Tulips, I hear what you are saying. Up off the ground is best, but bees will move into any cavity they like. So if setting on the ground is ideal in your situation obviously it works for you.

I have only run langs. On the scale of hives I want to run, plus what their intended use is for me means that the industry standard is what I need to use.

In this situation a shake out is the best option. You can keep the workers and get rid of all the drones in the capped larva stage, thus eliminating the mites. But, you have to catch it early enough. Good luck on your remaining hives

Good information and advice. What you are describing is correct and the method works. Me personally, I don't have the time or patience for this method. I also have enough hives to have options and can more easily force them into the method I want to do and usually get the outcome I want. If all you have is a couple of hives you must be more cautious as not to destroy the one you have right.

Laying workers on a tree one week after shaking them out. These bees didn't know how to return to the hive location once dumped because I had moved it a week prior to the shake out.

Is any one down around Marshall tx. Going to the mannlake store for the in store madness sale?

Got a swarm 2 days ago. Started here
I like swarm commander lures and lemon oil

Last year, one on the bucket wouldn't fit in the nuc

Nice swarms Bud!

I lost two more weak ones this week during our cold snap. They couldn't cover the brood and succumbed to the cold.

Still pretty cool up here. Took 13 colonies into winter as of today all 13 still active. Two looked a bit weak at the entrances. Temp got to 64 today so I went into the two weak looking hives and man are they light on stores. Fed some honey on February 15 and a quart of sugar water to them both a week later thank goodness. One had a bad mouse nest and the other was booming with capped brood nothing hatching just yet. The other the weaker of the two had a couple frames of a good pattern and all open brood but very light on stores. Mice tore up some so cleaned it out and reduced it to one deep. We are a good month away here from swarm season as it appears now but bees are packing in pollen but not much nectar.
If we get all 13 colonies through it will be awesome we took each hive last fall and gave it what we though was equal stored honey above the brood nest and had late summer queen breaks to help fight any mites. So far so good. I intend to double apiary from 13 to 25 hives this year.

I built 16 swarm traps today. I still have to prep them, paint them and make a metal top for each.
Im like a lot of folks, lost my last hive this winter but looking for a new start this spring.

Question for the beekeepers.

do you look for places to keep hives?


would a 3 acre field full of native grasses and forbs (flowers) that is surrounded by woods and free from pesticides interest a keeper?