How To Get Bees & Establish a Colony

best to start in spring thats when colonies would be establishing themselves naturally via swarming
colonies started later in the yer may struggle and will likely need feeding
need a good supply of nectar & pollen, like in spring and early summer to build up colony
this way working with bees much easier to succeed

most ideal are bees from your area so that you know they are adapted to the local conditions

Catching a swarm (recommended but pros and cons)

pros – free well adapted perhaps small cell bees and loads of fun to do, starts gentle, knowledge grows with bees
cons – can have diseases unknown origin and behaviour – best to quarantine
– spring and early summer
– usually in morning or early afternoon
– free bees
– doing a public service, often pay to have them poisoned
– very exciting and addictive
– mostly settle near hive, sit for a while, then fly further away and sit whilst scouts find a home
– a swarm can be collected anytime it is clustered
– should be as quick as possible as they can take off at any time
– usually quiet, placid and easy to handle, only concentrating on finding a home
– straight into a hive is the easiest but never with foundation frames, they like to cluster

• bees do not like the smell of newly painted boxes – can rub with beeswax
  – some unsealed brood will encourage them to stay
  – one piece of comb is a nice idea, perhaps one sheet of foundation
  – sudden jolt to so that the cluster falls from branch as one unit
  – if you get majority of bees, mother is probably in center and others will follow
  – best to wait until just after dusk when all bees will have returned
  – if you take before bees have returned you will lose those bees
  – bees returning to where they thought home was to find its gone can become upset and angry
  – swarms often abscond, can try trick with queen excluder to ensure they stay
  – also wrapping a sheet around the hive may discourage them from absconding
  – check for bees signaling for other bees using Nasinov gland, this is a sign that you got mother
  – can shake into a box and then into a hive
  – “run in” (see Tony’s fb vids)
  – c/c will say to requeen

  Catching a Swarm Using a Bait Hive
  – likely catch a swarm in areas with feral colonies using a used hive
  – at least 1m off the ground
  – must be labeled with brand, name & telephone number if positioned on a property where the beekeeper does not live

Established colony
– can buy a colony already in full swing
– not so important what time of year but difficult to diagnose disease in cold times, difficult to inspect an may not be brood to look for brood disease
– buyer beware
– should be a strong colony
– make sure queen is laying (fresh eggs – still standing = less than 3 days)

• combs brood of all stages covered with bees
  – good brood pattern
  – honey and pollen
  – check that hive is in good shape no rot or broken frames
  – transport of hives can be tricky and things to consider but this for another time

  Nucleus colony
  $270 from McD’s 4 frames of bees with single box 8 frame Langy, emlock & new mother probably from QLD
  – usually ordered in advanced
  – a mini colony
  – comes in a mini hive 3,4 or 5 frames
  – combs brood of all stages covered with bees
  – good brood pattern
  – honey and pollen
  – if the nuc box is full, transfer to a bigger box
  – transferring to a bigger box
  – if the colony is weak and doesn’t need more room, moving to a bigger box can set them back
  – hive to receive nuc is placed where nuc was
  – take frames out of nuc and into middle of full sized box in the same order
  – surround with frames
  – ideally more honey from a different hive, put these next to walls

  – look for queen during transfer

  Package bees
  – a container of bees of a given weight (often 2kilos)
  – contains mother bee and attendents in a much smaller container
  – usually comes with feeder
  – packages often available mid-spring to autumn

  A swarm is like a bunch of friends going off on an adventure together
  A package is like a bunch of strangers… they’ll probably work it out but it will take longer as they have to get to know one another