Collecting a Swarm – From Hedge to Hive

Updated: May 2

This was the swarm we collected from a conifer hedge.

At this stage, everything centres around the queen.

Once she’s secured, the rest of the bees will follow.

Why Use a Skep when collecting a swarm?

The queen was placed safely into a skep.

A skep is a traditional beekeeping basket, and in this case, it’s used to hold the swarm temporarily.

Once the queen is inside, the worker bees begin to move towards her.

You’ll often see them gathering at the entrance and gradually making their way in.

The colony moves as one.

The queen gives off pheromones that guide the rest of the bees, so once she’s settled, the swarm naturally follows.

It’s not forced — it’s just how they operate.

Once the majority of the bees are inside the skep, they can be left to settle.

From there, they’ll be relocated into a proper beehive.

This gives them a stable space to build comb, store food, and establish as a colony again.

Swarm collection is just one part of beekeeping through the season.

It’s about working with what the bees are doing, not trying to stop it completely.

What looks like a chaotic moment — a swarm hanging in a hedge — is actually something very organised.

Once the queen is safe, everything else follows.