# Question: Forcing feral colony to Swarm



## J O'Haro (Feb 4, 2014)

Feral colony for sure has been in a Portico since 1998, Homeowner will only allow me to capture swarms.

Any thoughts on how to force them to swarm?

I hear pollen substitutes produce short lived bees, but wouldn't the Queen bee still be excellent stock?

I am in the process of regressing my bees

Thank you Jeff


----------



## wildbeekeeper (Jul 3, 2010)

Swarming is a natural event that is next to impossible to force in a feral colony. Not all colonies swarm and can/will survive(actually just persist) without ever swarming. They just exist. Are you sure this colony hasnt swarmed? I would put a swarm trap 50-100 yds away and see what happens.


----------



## D Semple (Jun 18, 2010)

Ha, do women need to be taught how to shop, no force needed they will swarm on their own. 

Trick is knowing when they are swarming and getting there to catch them in time. 

When I find a new feral colony I give homeowners and neighbors a one page flyer that show them a couple pictures of what swarms looks like, describes when they are likely to occur, where to look, and has my phone number to call me when they see one. Works like a charm, I catch 20+ swarms a year without even trying hard. 

Don


----------



## bbrowncods (Oct 10, 2012)

Feed syrup and/or pollen causing them to expand = swarm


----------



## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Hogan trap em or put out a good bait hive in spring.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Put out a bait hive or two. Feed a lot of syrup early in the spring.


----------



## J O'Haro (Feb 4, 2014)

Thank you all for advice & support.

last spring i put out 1 deep with 5 frames, will try many more this spring, 2 1/2hr drive to Joplin Mo area, will check into getting house owner to feed sugar syrup, he had bees in the past. 

supposedly this hive has been active in portico since the 1940. ( I ? that) but I do know there has been activity on warm winter days since 1998

Once again Thank you


----------



## BEE STALKER (Feb 12, 2012)

The bees are in swarm mode in Southern California. I'm in a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley (Near Los Angeles) and my piece of suburbia is loaded with feral hives. I have trapped many over the years here. 

I left out my extracting equipment last month and the ferals were all over it. I bee lined a few and realized there was a monster feral hive two houses away. Last Saturday I noticed a few sniffing around equipment i was renovating, so Sunday I put out a bait hive. On Monday it was full. There is no way to prove it, but I think feeding all that honey gave them the bump they needed to skeedadle.....


----------

