#5

ATTRACTING AND SERVING

THE BEE COLONIES WITH
A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM
ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM 1

What is Bee Swarm?
• Swarm is group of honey-bees
who have left their original/old
colony to start a new colony
normally with the old Queen.
• Swarming is the natural method
honeybee colonies use for
multiplying their colonies.
• Swarming is the process by
which a new honey bee colony is
formed when the original colony
replaces the old Queen...
• They leave the hive with about
half of the worker bees and as
much honey as they can carry.
• The swarms settle 20–30 meters
away from the natal nest for
2 ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM
Bee Swarm
a few hours and then departs
for a new nest site after getting
information from scout bees.
• Scout bees search for suitable
cavities in which to construct
the swarm’s home. Successful
scouts will then come back and
report the location of suitable
nesting sites to the other bees.
• It’s in this stage that swarms
can be captured with the
help of an swarm bag and
colonize an empty hive. Swarms
are immediately ready to start
building comb in their new home.
• Catching and transferring a
 swarm in bee-hive is one of
the method to populate the
colonies.
• Swarms that are local to the
areas they are found in are
guaranteed to have survived
the monsoon in that climate,
and were strong enough to split
in post monsoon season. This Equipment needed while
method of obtaining bees aids catching a Swarm
in the goal of spreading strong • Swarm Bag
colonies for local honeybee • Bee Veil
populations. • Empty Bee-box (Bee-Hive)

Swarm Bag Bee Veil Empty Bee-box (Bee-Hive)

Facts to Ponder:
• The bees’ buzz is the sound made by their wings which beat 11,400
times per minute

• The practice of beekeeping dates back at least 4,500 years

• The bee’s brain is oval in shape and about the size of a sesame
seed, yet it has a remarkable capacity to learn and remember
things. For example, it is able to make complex calculations on
distance travelled and foraging efficiency

• There are people in Kerala and Africa that keep elephants out
of their fields by keeping honey bee hives around the fields in
what is called a ‘bee fence’.

• Drones die after mating with a queen

ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM 3
 How to
catch a
Swarm

How to Catch a Swarm??

• The cluster should be calm and • Close the open end of the swarm
composed at one location for a bag
long time and should ideally be • Take the swarm bag towards the
within your hands reach. beehive where you’ll transfer it.
• Open the swarm bag from one • Make sure the Queen gate is
end and cover it bottom to top. present while transferring the
• Shake the bees off in the swarm swarm into the bee-box (hive).
bag. • Open the hive after ten (10)
• Immediately flip the swarm days.
bag once you’re sure the swarm
is in the bag.

4 ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM
Attracting a Swarm/Colony into your Empty Hive 1. Queen Cells

Swarm and Scout bees

• Honey-bees tend to swarm particularly in fine weather coincides with
pollen and nectar flow (between October- February).
• When you start to see Drones and Queen cells in your hives, you know
it’s time to put your bait hives (empty hives) and swarm traps out
(Sugar water)!
The Bait 2. Sugar Feeding Station
• It often starts with one to two bees hovering around the potential home
to evaluate the empty hive placed.
• But if you aren’t seeing any bee activity, you might want to consider
putting a Sugar Water feeding inside the hive (Keep a watch for ants).
• Nearby most scout bees start out as foragers, so if you can attract
foragers to your location, there is a chance some of them may scout
your empty hive! 3. Trap Hive and Caught Swarm
• During this site evaluation period, it is important not to disturb anything
or you might discourage the bees from settling there.
The Trap
• Bees love living in locations where other bees have lived before and if
there’s already comb inside, it’s like finding a furnished apartment!
• So try to keep old combs in your hive and don’t worry about how perfect
the combs are.
• Swarms bring in a clean up crew before they move in. Scouts drag out
debris and chew away at moldy combs in the days prior to moving.
• Bees prefer cavities of a certain volume and lean towards homes with
small entrances.
• Set your traps (Bee-hive) within 3-4ft of the ground with queen gate open.
After the Victory !!
• If you successfully lure a swarm, be careful not to disturb them for the
first two weeks.
• Some swarms are queen-less or come with a virgin queen. Therefore,
it’s important that you inspect them and search for 1-3 days eggs to
verify that the queen is mated and laying!

ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM 5
Feeding the bees
Sugar water is one way of feeding your bees in dearth periods. It provides
them with nourishment and much-needed energy boosts when there’s
no nectar source for bees around
How to make the Sugar Feeding ???
• For monsoon and summer feeding, use a 2:1 ratio of sugar and
water (e.g. :- 6 cups of water to 3 cups of sugar).
• For Winter use a 1:1 ratio of sugar and water (e.g. :- 3 cups of
sugar to 3 cups of water). Figure 1 & 2
• Boil the water first and then after it becomes little warmer add sugar
and mix it well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Figure 3 & 4
• Make sure that the mixture does not boil, boiled sugar causes
digestive problems for the bees.
• Add the sugar water to the feeder, cup or any other feeding material.
Let the mixture cool, then add the sugar syrup to the feeder material
used (mud cups, coconut shell, food grade plastic). Figure 5
• Make sure you’re also putting some small sticks in the feeder cup
to support the bees while drinking the sugar water. Figure 6 & 7
• Maintain the method, time and type of feeder.
How to make Sugar Feeding-Process 4 7
1

3 6

2 5 8

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When to give the feeding ???
• Avoid spilling or leaving syrup open to bees in the apiary.
• Feeding syrup excites bees and is usually done when there is no, or
little nectar flow available. Care should be taken to prevent robbing.
• When feeding in dearth periods feed all the colonies in the evening.
Night will help control outside hive activity.
• Watch for signs of robbing – bees fighting, erratic flight and bees
trying to enter a hive without meeting the guards. Generally
stronger colonies rob weaker ones.
• If robbing starts, reduce the entrance to one bee space using an
entrance block and/or grass. This enables guard bees to protect
the colony more efficiently.

ATTRACTING AND SERVING THE BEE COLONIES WITH A KNOW HOW ON BEE SWARM 7
 For details on
State Beekeeping & Extension Centre (SBEC) and Bee Keeping Equipment Manufactures/ Suppliers,
please refer KVIC website, using following link: www.kvic.org.in

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