Welcome back to the Bee Sanctuary!
If you’ve been dreaming of starting your own apiary but the price of buying a colony is holding you back, this is the post for you. While many beekeepers in the Northern Hemisphere order bees online, here in South Africa, we have a much more exciting—and free option: humane swarm removals.

Before you grab a veil, a word of caution: in South Africa, we work with the African honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata), which can be very defensive. I highly recommend taking a basic beekeeping course first to ensure you, your neighbors, and your pets stay safe.

The “Free” Strategy: Catching Recent Swarms

The easiest way to get bees is to look for recently landed swarms. These are bees that have just arrived and haven’t built established nests yet. Because they have no brood or honey to protect, they are generally much calmer and smaller in size.

The Essentials Toolkit:

• A bee suit and gloves.
• A six-frame nuc box.
• A “scoop” (I use a carefully cut-out plastic milk carton).
• A queen cage/clip.

Two Real-World Examples

In just one night, we collected two swarms and—here’s the kicker—both homeowners paid us for the removal.

1. The “Contained” Corner: One swarm landed in a small, accessible nook. Because the area was contained, we simply scooped the clusters into our box. Even though we didn’t spot the queen immediately, we knew she was in the box because there was nowhere else for her to hide.
2. The Water Control Box: We found a tiny “handful” of bees in a ground-level box. Because the swarm was so small, we spotted the queen instantly, clipped her, and placed her in the nuc. Ground-level removals are the “Goldilocks” of bee catching—safe, easy, and fast.

Why We Work the “Night Shift”

I often get asked why we do removals at 7:00 PM instead of 10:00 AM. There are two vital reasons:

• Urban Safety: At night, bees are less likely to fly off and bother neighbors or pets if they get defensive.
• The Full Crew: By waiting until dark, you ensure that all the foragers have returned to the cluster. If you move them during the day, you leave half the colony behind, forcing you to make a second trip.

Settling In: The First 48 Hours

Once you get your free bees to the apiary, the work isn’t quite done.

• The Incentive: Always put a feeder with sugar syrup into the new hive. This gives them the immediate resources to start building new wax comb.
• The Learning Curve: Don’t be discouraged if your first swarm absconds (leaves the hive). It happens! The beauty of this method is that it’s easy to replicate once you have the gear.

Starting this way doesn’t just save you money; it teaches you how bees behave in the wild. You get up close and personal with their natural rhythms before they ever land in a managed hive.

Have you ever spotted a swarm hanging from a tree in your garden? That could be your first colony! Tell us about your sightings in the comments. Don’t forget to Subscribe and hit the Like button for more beekeeping tips.