After a short break, we’re back in action! This latest rescue took us to Bryanston (near Johannesburg) for what turned out to be our second-largest removal to date.

The bees had set up shop inside a heavy-duty irrigation valve box. These underground housings are notorious for hosting massive colonies because they provide a stable, protected environment—and this one did not disappoint.

A Hive on the Verge of a Split?

Before we even opened the lid, the homeowner mentioned seeing a lot of activity that looked like a potential swarm split a day or two prior. Once we got inside, we saw the evidence: fresh queen cells on the very first piece of comb we pulled out.

Even if they had recently swarmed, the population left behind was still enormous. We found:

• Massive Brood Nest: Clearly, a very productive laying queen was at work.
• Honey Reserves: A surprising amount of capped honey right at the top of the box.
• Gentle Temperament: Despite their size, these ladies were relatively calm, which made the two-hour extraction much smoother.

Mastering the Bee Vac

We’re still learning the physics of our bee vacuum, and tonight gave us a great tip. We noticed the vac struggles when the motor is higher than the intake (the “uphill” battle).

The Pro Tip: If you keep the vacuum unit lower than the area you are vacuuming, the bees travel through the hose much easier with less chance of getting stuck or injured. Since this hive was in the ground, we had to work a bit harder to keep that flow consistent, but we successfully cleared the box.

The Kyalami Transfer: Round Two

After the “horror movie” transfer debacle of our last removal, we tried something different tonight at the Kyalami Apiary.

We’ve set the vacuum box on top of the new hive, which is filled with the brood frames we rescued from the irrigation box. We’re giving them 24 hours to move down naturally. If they haven’t made the move by then, we’ll give them a little nudge. This “soft” transfer seems much better for a swarm of this size.

Getting Closer to 300

Every big removal like this is a massive boost to our apiary. With a colony this strong, we’re looking at a prime candidate for a future hive split once they settle in.

Thanks for following the journey! If you want to see if this “Megaswarm” stays put in their new home, make sure to subscribe and hit the notifications for our next update in 2026.

Question for the bee community: Have you noticed a difference in bee health based on the “incline” of your vacuum hose? Let’s talk shop in the comments!

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See you in the next one!