LOGISTICS

SCHEDULE

Become an MCBA Swarm Catcher

MCBA has a robust system for civilians to report unwanted swarms in Montgomery County. We then quickly and efficiently dispatch one of MCBA's 475 swarm volunteers to retrieve them. We get about one hundred requests a year. Phil Frank will describe how MCBA's system works, how you can volunteer to help the community, and maybe even get free-bees.

Swarm Catching Tips and Anecdotes

Learn the ins and outs of swarm catching from DCBA's "Swarm Squad" member Toni Burnham:

• Popular swarm catching gadgets
• How to access a swarm for catch-ability
• Creating a “go-kit” for beekeepers interested in catching swarms
• Adventure stories from past Swarm Squad missions

The district of Columbia has its own system to deal with swarms -- “The Swarm Squad” has been run by the DC Beekeeper's Alliance (DCBA) since 2014. They recruit about 75 beekeeper-volunteers each year, and field several dozen actual swarm-retrievals (plus lots of false alarms). It is win-win-win because civilians get panic-relief by seeing how friendly bees are (especially when the bees being carted off in a sealed box), beeks get free-bees, and DCBA gets lots of friendly media attention - they have been on the news, in the paper, and garner lots of social media postings by the grateful civilians who survived the experience. The Swarm Squad's response times average less than an hour, and they were declared Essential Workers during the 2020 COVID-19 lockdown!
Much has been learned, laughs have taken place, heads have been shaken. Toni will be sharing that information with us.

LINKS From Toni about Swarms:

https://entomology.cals.cornell.edu/extension/wild-pollinators/native-bees-your-backyard/

Beekeepers Handbook 5th edition, Sammataro and Avitabile 185-200 https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501752612/the-beekeepers-handbook/

Complete: Swarm Essentals by Repaskey http://wicwas.com/project/swarm-essentials-23-00/ (or order from Steve srepasky@gmail.com)

Jump off point for splits — https://www.honeybeesuite.com/splits-2/?fbclid=IwAR0__ao3bbtu-WNhjyjxNJp2CELSU5hR5JjHEPVmwYuMd34gTuf-q9iEjiU

Published paper on Bait hives — https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/sites/pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/files/shared/documents/Bait%20Hives%20for%20Honey%20Bees_accessible1.pdf

FEATURED SPEAKER BIO

Toni Burnham is a Lifetime Member of Montgomery County Beekeepers Association, the past president and founder of DCBA, past president of MSBA, and sometime writer for Bee Culture. "I have kept bees since 2005, when I took my beginners course with MCBA: a community to which I will always be grateful!"