Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => EQUIPMENT USAGE, EXPERIMENTATION, HIVE PLANS, CONSTRUCTION TIPS AND TOOLS => Topic started by: CapnChkn on April 28, 2011, 02:08:19 AM

Title: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: CapnChkn on April 28, 2011, 02:08:19 AM
Well, I have been lucky this year.  I figured I may get 1, but  have 3 colonies now!  I went out to the garden and the swarm trap I placed out there captured a swarm!  As long as I'm bragging, I just might show off as well.



Wheeeee!

My question is:  After I took this video I waited until dark and tried to get the bees out of the tree, only to get them stirred up after I failed to think ahead and put the opening where I could reach it.  Later in the morning it was pouring down rain, the entrance pointing upwards.

Getting the bait hive balanced on a limb in a tree is kind of like pushing a donut with the eraser of a pencil.  It would just be easier to pull it with a string.  If I hang the hive would the bees accept it?  Would any banging around in the wind set them off?  Is there any reason to consider it a really bad idea?
Title: Re: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: forrestcav on April 28, 2011, 01:23:47 PM
need some entrance closers?
Title: Re: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: CapnChkn on April 29, 2011, 04:41:26 PM
Hey Joe.

No I think I have that problem solved, I just cut some blocks of wood to fit the holes.  Right now I'm trying to see if anyone or the bees have any bias toward the hive body swinging around.  My guess is either it's too simple and I'll find out for myself, or nobody has tried it; though I know they hang beehives in trees in Africa.  I'm not hanging an established hive, I'm hanging a bait trap.
Title: Re: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: VolunteerK9 on April 29, 2011, 06:35:03 PM
Im pretty sure that Bud uses the hanging traps religiously.
Title: Re: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: forrestcav on April 29, 2011, 10:56:51 PM
Hey,
run a guy rope from the bottom of the box to the tree to keep it from spinning around. Or two lines to two anchor points on the ground.
Title: Re: Hanging bait hive?
Post by: CapnChkn on April 30, 2011, 04:00:35 AM
Yessir!  Thank you!