Hi everyone.
I have my traps set out and I can see bees going in and out. My question is, how do you recognize scouts from a swarm if you missed the swarm moving in the box? One of my boxes is very busy and I can see foragers carrying pollen inside so I assume they are moved in. One of my other boxes was pretty busy this afternoon but now it has slowed down and the amount of bees is lot less. I have seen pictures and videos of swarms all over the box moving slowly in but what if you miss it? How do you know they have moved in?
Paul
Watch it over the next few days, if you see similar activity as your hives, then there is a colony in there.
Shake the trap. If bees come boiling out, then there is a hive in there.
Scouts don't carry pollen. Take that one down and hive it.
Look in the other one. You will see quickly if there's a swarm in it.
Quote from: czman11 on May 03, 2012, 08:22:30 PM
Hi everyone.
I have my traps set out and I can see bees going in and out. My question is, how do you recognize scouts from a swarm if you missed the swarm moving in the box? One of my boxes is very busy and I can see foragers carrying pollen inside so I assume they are moved in. One of my other boxes was pretty busy
this afternoon but now it has slowed down and the amount of bees is lot less. I have seen pictures and videos of swarms all over the box moving slowly in but what if you miss it? How do you know they have moved in?
Paul
You got BEES IMHO
BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)
Thank you guys for the input. I will hive the trap with foragers in it today. Ironically, the second trap I mentioned that was busy earlier and than nothing, as soon as I finished my post and read your responses I went out and checked on it. There were bees all over the entrance of the box and around the tree trunk. Nice little swarm. I watched them piling up on the box and moving inside. So, it looks like I got 2 swarms. I'm a happy guy.
Paul
Nothing quite like free bees!!! Hoping they come my way some day.
John
Quote from: AllenF on May 03, 2012, 08:39:25 PM
Shake the trap. If bees come boiling out, then there is a hive in there.
:lau:
And video it.