# Help Swarmed high in a tree



## Medora (Apr 10, 2013)

My bees (purchased a nuc in mid-May) just swarmed. They are really high up a large tree (30ft?). The tree is fairly inaccessible. Is there anything I can do to get them to move lower? Sucks to watch $150 dollars fly away.:grumble:


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## Iddee (Sep 25, 2005)

Throw a line over a limb and hoist a frame of drawn comb up to the swarm. They will migrate to it.


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## copperkid3 (Mar 18, 2005)

Do you own (or know someone that has) a shotgun?

For the price of a couple shells, you might be able to shot the limb

out upon which they hang upon. Avoid actually hitting the swarm

itself and try not to stand directly under the proposed landing zone.

Ideally, there should be a hive set-up and open with a frame or two

of young brood in it to hopefully hold their attention upon their arrival 

back to earth -

that is if the queen goes along for the ride and hasn't a mind to lead

them off to a far, far better place. Either that suggestion, or find someone

with a bucket truck who might be willing to help you out. Good luck with

whatever you decide to try.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

I've used a shot gun my self and it worked but they had only been in the tree about a 1/2 hour.

I now have a extentable paint roller pole, tape a hose to it extend it to about 21 feet anfd use the bee vac yo suck them up..



Ten foot ladder set in the back of the pick up and the pole extended out to its max to collect this swarm I figure was about 35 feet up.






 Al


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## Buffy in Dallas (May 10, 2002)

Had something similar happen to me yesterday. One of my hives swarmed. Landed 20 ft up in a tree just the other side of the fence in my crazy neighbors yard, between the power lines that run to our houses. No way to get it. I think I would try Iddee's idea. I also got some lemongrass oil and put in several bait hives around my property. We shall see what happens.


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## Medora (Apr 10, 2013)

They decided to move to an accessible tree and only 12ft up so we were able to capture them. We have a tractor and put a pallet with an empty hive box with some missing frames in it and shoot the swarm into the box. There was a very small swarm that left that hive the following day but they it was so small we let them go. I checked the hive a week later and they seem to be doing great.


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