*A regular hive body with screened bottom board, inner cover and top cover.
*Ratchet strap for hauling (do NOT use bungie cords, they slip)
*spray bottle for sugar water
*scoop - milk carton works well and you can cut it so it has a handle
*white sheet or pillow case - don't use a nappie towel
*piece of cut foam (such as comes from a cushion) to block the entrance way
*clippers (be sure to ask before cutting anyone's shrubs or tree limbs)
*cardboard box (in case you can't handle a full hive body set up) with brood chamber-sized foundation and frames - a box that computer paper comes in works well. Cut an upside down horse shoe-shaped hole where the side meets the bottom and let this flap be the ramp they can march into.
*lemmon pledge as an option - place a small dab on your finger and run it along the inside of the box just above the flap you've made.
*a bee brush
*of course, your veil
Note: don't smoke a swarm. It won't do much except upset them and cause them to fly around. Just scoop or shake them into the box and place the sheet at the entranceway so they can march in. The first several scoops should go into the box with the lid off. Then replace the lid and let the rest march in after you've shown them the entrance way. For a while they'll want to keep collecting at the old site where they last smelled the queen. Be patient and keep gathering them and releasing at the entranceway. Wait about 35-40 min. or longer if you have the time so as many as possible will go in. You'll never get them all unless you leave the box and retrieve it after dark.
Ratchet your hive together tightly, block the entranceway with the foam and let the homeowners know what to expect ( a small fist-size returning clump that will hang for a few days or return to the parent hive). If the homeowner asks if it costs anything you might ask for gas money or a contribution to the Metro At. Beekeepers' Assoc. (We are a 501c3 organization so their contribution is tax deductible).
Hope that helps,
Bee
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