# Got a swarm in my store-bought top bar hive



## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

So, I'm up at Skyview farm working. I'm running the backhoe. Hubby wants to fix the field tile, and install a culvert across the creek. I get most of the tile work done, and we find out the tile we have is a smaller diameter. Hubby takes the truck and runs to town for 14" tile. 

I go across the road to the 40 acre field. Hubby wants to put 3 16' 18" tiles in the creek, and then fill in around them. He wants a 40' opening through the trees along the creek. SO....I fire up the chainsaw and am cutting down trees. 

My phone rings about 6 p.m. It's a little gal about 15 miles away with a swarm of bees. The bees have decided to make the wall of an Advance Auto their new home. I have no veil, gloves, jacket, etc. What I DO have is the little experimental top bar hive that I bought off Ebay. I tell her I'll call back as soon as Hubby gets back with the truck. I glue the sticks into the top bars while I'm waiting for his return. 

Hubby gets back at 7 p.m. I call the girl to ask how high off the ground the swarm might be.....maybe a foot? So, I leave Sweetheart at the farm, and dirty and stinky me heads off to see the bees. 

The bees were not even a foot above the ground! They were clustered on a concrete block wall AT ground level. I carried the little hive over and sat it right on the pavement. I had stopped to get some store-bought honey about a block earlier. I flipped the top bars upside-down, and drizzled honey over them. Then, I flipped them over into the right position. I squirted a little honey at the entrance, and borrowed a broom to sweep the bees off the wall. It was a good-sized swarm. They found the honey, and somewhere in there, the queen marched into the hive. I never spotted her, but I showed the two young women the current of bees moving into the entrance, and the bees giving the "she's here" signal. 


Then, I collected my $20! I'll go back tomorrow and collect the hive. 

The business manager was glad to pay $20. He had called the district office, who told him to call an exterminator. The exterminator told him to find a beekeeper. That's ME!

So...I did some PR for beekeeping, encouraged the two young women to look into beekeeping, and have a FREE swarm in my new top bar hive. Easiest swarm I ever collected. 

Oh, and on my way back to the farm to pick up Hubby, I called a GF who has bees. She was disgusted. She informed me that she paid $60 last summer for just a QUEEN! She also happened to be at my house visiting, when I had a swarm come and install itself in one of my empty hives! That was Sweeeet! 

Life is Good!


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## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

*Darn!*

Well, the swarm moved BACK out of the TBH and back on to the wall. I went back today with a Lang and drawn comb and got them. 

This may be a problem, using the TBH as a catch hive. It doesn't have any foundation to attract bees. 

Any suggestions?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Do you have any lemongrass essential oil? Few drops makes a lot of difference.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

I hived a swarm a few days ago in a Warre hive and simply put in a dash of honey in addition to the wax I have on the starter popsicle sticks. The bees took to it quite well!

Did you have any wax at all in the hive?

Matt


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## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

I have lemongrass oil, but it was at home at the time. 

I didn't have any wax--just the hive. I don't have a source of heat there yet, other than a propane torch or bonfire. We've yet to install the circuit for a stove. 

Guess I'll have to take the necessary to the farm with me, since I'm spending most of my time there right now. 

They stuck quite well in the Lang deep super with drawn comb. 

Ah well, we'll try again!


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Michael Bush said:


> Do you have any lemongrass essential oil? Few drops makes a lot of difference.


I am having some problems with lemongrass oil. It confuses some of the bees. Do not put two laced bait hives next to each other. Several times I have had about one percent of the arriving swarm permanently set up camp in the wrong box. And this weekend, the biggest bait swarm of the year could not all fit into the five frame nuc box, and left the next day, leaving behind a lot of bees. But as a lure, it sure brings them in. I am thinking you can easily over do it. Probably five drops is enough, and ten is too many.


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## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

odfrank, 

That is good to know! I'll use 3 drops, installed in the TBH today. Hopefully, the next call it will be ther right strength. 

Going to take a cake pan up, heat the beeswax, and dip the bars today. It's raining anyway....


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I agree. I go for four and occasionally get five drops. I concur that ten drops is too much.


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## Bennyjeep (Apr 16, 2007)

I have a swarm catch box out now. How often do you need to reapply the 5 drops of lemonoil, should it be good for a month? two?


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## Jer733 (Oct 5, 2008)

*Comb in TBH*

Judy,

Saw somewhere on net a guy used a woman's hair clip to hold comb suspended under a bar.

Just used string to tie the clip to a bar and opened the clamshell and inserted the comb.

Bees build around the clip and attach comb.


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## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

OOOOH! How neat! I'll have to scavage up a clip I can do without. 
Well, it's STILL raining here, so I'm safe from swarms for the moment. I went ahead and brought the little TBH home. I'll treat the bars with wax, and put a few drops of lemongrass oil on them. 

May even cut some comb from a hive and fasten it in. 

Wish me luck!


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## Jer733 (Oct 5, 2008)

*Link About Clip Mentioned*

http://homepage.interaccess.com/~netpol/POLISH/Ule/KlamraEN.html

Wojtek has it on his web site.

Sorry to hear about his hives....


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## HuttoBee (Apr 29, 2009)

*Using Lemonoil or LemonGrass Oil ?*



Judy in IN said:


> odfrank,
> 
> That is good to know! I'll use 3 drops, installed in the TBH today. Hopefully, the next call it will be ther right strength.
> 
> ...


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## Judy in IN (Jul 12, 2007)

It's lemongrass essential oil. You can pick it up at the health food store. They sell little bottles with a plastic-type top that only lets it out in drops. 

OR....you can get some on Ebay...


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## HuttoBee (Apr 29, 2009)

And you place the drops at the entrance of the Hive . . . . . ?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I would put them on the wood inside the hive.


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