Guilfordbeekeepers.org

As a new beek, and new to catching swarms, what equipment is good to have on hand? I'm NOT referring to catching swarms in bait boxes.

Thanks,
Duane

Hive with frames and some comb. Nuc the same. Saws. "plural" Pruning shears. lemon grass oil. Fischer's bee quick. Different size cat litter scoops. queen catchers. "plural" Camera
List of questions for asking when taking the call.

That'll get you started. I'm sure there will be others added.

Ladder
Bee Vacuum & small generator or long extension cord for swarms in tangles of ornamental bushes homeowners do not want cut.
Swarm bucket (5 gallon bucket with lid cut out & either plastic excluder cut & glued to fit top opening or screen fixed over top opening) to use
with bee vacuum in place of hive or nuc on scene. Empty bucket into hive or nuc on return from swarm capture.

Questions-(not comprehensive)
Do you have a telephone that takes pictures and can you send me one? (Gets more important in July when yellow jacket calls usually start)
When did you first notice the bees and what did you see?
If they are clumped, how big? Baseball, Football, Basketball, etc.
How high are they and what have they gathered on?
If on a tree limb, is it a limb that would support a ladder where the cluster is located?

Huh, didn't think about the home owner/caller NOT wanting the bush/tree trimmed a little to get the bees. Guess I'll start on a Bee vac. What vacuum head do you use?

Thanks,
Duane

5 gallon bucket shop vac--around $30.00. I think I ordered on line at Lowes and picked it up. It clips onto the standard 5 gallon bucket. 2 buckets together provide bee pick up and vacuum control. I will edit this post soon and post pictures.

It's been seven years since I attended the beginner's beekeeping class but I remember one session was hands-on learning with equipment. If there is enough interest, would it be possible to have more a advanced hands-on session at one of our 2019 monthly meetings for beeks wanting to learn to build other equipment such as the bee vacuum, etc.? We could bring listed components and learn more as we assemble and learn the best ways to operate things with 'tried-and-true' methods shared by club members.

Sounds like a good idea for a meeting to me. Several years back we had a "show and tell" meeting where members brought things they had made and explained how they did it. I'll run this by JB.