How to handle a swarm

I have a swarm on my property. I have worked bees many years ago and would like to start again by retrieving this swarm and putting them in a standard hive so I can start working them. Is there any preliminary work I should do to make this transfer successful? Should I try to re-queen before or after moving them? Any pointers on transferring them to a hive. I was planning on doing the transfer at night and dropping them in a bottom hive box (starter hive) and move them about 5 miles away. While putting them in the hive I can dump whatever brood is obtainable in the present hive. Does this sound like I am on the right track.
The Lost beekeeper

Hi,
First, you don't have to hive the swarm at night.
Second, you don't have to move them 5 mi's., in fact you don't have to move them period.
Third, if you're hiving them in a brood super (bottom box) it would help if you could provide a frame or two of drawn (old) comb.
Fourth, I would provide them with some sugar water (within the hive body) and seal the entrance with grass or some such thing as sometimes the swarm will reject the hive if the scouts have found a more suitable home. Once the queen starts laying or if their is brood in the hive the swarm will stay.
Let me know how you make out.

when i hive a swarm, i put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the broodbox. this prevents the queen from excaping. leave the hive in place untill all the bees have come back from scouting (late evening.) they will all be in the hive and you can move it to their new location.
be sure the hive body doesnt have any holes other than the entrance.
you shouldnt have to requeen because there should be at least 1 queen in the swarm.(possibly many virgin queens as well.)
remove the excluder after a couple of days, just in case a virgin queen has superseeded the old queen
[This message has been edited by heartbeat91 (edited 15 July 2003).]
[This message has been edited by heartbeat91 (edited 15 July 2003).]

As a rule, the bees in the swarm are not angry and it is relatively easy to get them to the hive. Get some lemon balm and rub the empty hive with it, as well as your hands/arms (we don't use much of the protective gear here); the bees love it and it calms them down. Cut the branch and shake the swarm off into the hive. You don't have to move it at all, I agree on that. The time of the day is irrelevant - but if there is less wind and the weather is clear and sunny, your chances rise.
Good luck!