❓Why I always cage the queen

Caging or containing the queen is one of the most critical tasks when catching swarms. It doesn’t take that long, and the experience of being up close with a swarm is priceless.

Something remarkable happens during this swarm capture, demonstrating why I cage the queen when catching swarms.

My posts get plenty of negative comments telling me I am wasting my time finding the queen when catching swarms. For example, "Just drop them in the box, 3 minutes and it's done!" No, it's not!

So what happens if the colony is on the cusp of moving to its newly chosen home? What happens if it doesn't like the box you put it in? What's stopping it from taking off and really wasting my time? Stay tuned to see.

It usually takes me less than 5 minutes to find the queen. That's, without a doubt, the best 5 minutes you can invest in queen catching.

The job is nearly complete at nightfall when all the bees are inside before I take them away. However, it isn't done until the swarm is home in the apiary, happily occupying their new beehive box.

I’m not here to recommend catching swarms without personal protection, especially for those starting out. Swarms are generally quite docile. Bees are not naturally aggressive but rather are defensive of their nest. Because a swarm has no nest, is effectively homeless, the bees are unlikely to want to sting anyone without provocation. If you know what you are doing and they are handled gently, they usually pose little risk.

By the way, don't store your sunnies in the same box as used queen cages, and don't keep used queen cages in your pockets when catching swarms; Otherwise, expect to be swarmed!

© Hinterland Bees