I was completely out of 5 frame nucs until yesterday when I transfered some into 10 frame equipment. I placed 4 frames of foundation and 1 frame of drawn out comb. I poured about 1 tablespoon of sryup in the comb and dipped a q-tip in lemongrass oil and spread it around. I tore off the swab and laid it in the bottom. I roped it up and have it about 9 feet up a tree about 50-60 feet from my apiary. The entrance is about 3/4" with some #4 cloth in front of it.
Hope that's good, as I lost one swarm already (that I know about), got a strong hive that I should check soon.
Do you have your hives where you can occasionally look at them? Mine are in the back corner of my yard, about 200+ feet from the house. When I'm in the shop, garden, or in the yard I look toward them. Look for a lot of activity around the entrance. Pre swarm (if there is such a thing) the bee flight will have more of a darting to it. Looking for the queen scent I guess. Orientation is more slower and methodical. After you've seen several you'll spot it right off. We have trees not far from the yard and 90% of the swarms will be thirty to a hundred feet from the hives. For a while when my wife or I would get home after work or what ever, we'll take a walk around the area. I can't tell you how many swarms I also found that way. Normally you'll see some bees flying around a tree or bush and most of the time that's where the swarm will be.
Another thing is the weather. If it's cool say 50ish in the morning and it gets up to upper 70's or in the 80's get ready, or if a shower passes through. I don't remember if 10framer pm'd me, posted, or sent me an email. I think it was a post. He said he looked at the weather for my area and saw that a shower had passed through before the temps jumped up. He recommended I take a walk around my hives and look in the trees. I did, and sure enough there was a swarm hanging in a hickory.
I put out traps for the first time this year. You hear many different recommendations for inside configuration . I have some five frames out and a couple deeps. All have a frame or two off old comb. Some I put extra frames of foundation in and some no extra frames. Since then I have heard to use a frame of comb and the rest empty frames with one horizontal wire for support. It seems some good trappers think filling the hive will all comb may deter bees moving in especially larger swarms as they are looking for open cavity space and not frame filled space. A nuc is 20L and a ten frame deep is 40L. They prefer the larger space but a deep is hard to handle in particular elevating it (I see capt puts two peat pot traps together) Robo has the plans for a compromise size trap of 30L on his website.
I baited some with lemon grass oil and some with swarm commander as a comparison. The only score I have had was in a deep baited with swarm commander. I did not have the extra frames in so I had to do a cut out. The wax was soft and next time I will have empty frames with at least one wire in place. I do not climb well and as you see I placed them near the ground. I am sure elevated is better but an emergency room bill and broke bones are not :)
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That's some good info. Ill keep watching. Its suppose to rain after Monday for a few days. I did a three way walk a way split on my strong hive today and added some foundation to them and most of my nucs too. Trying to stay way ahead, as a little ahead seems to be far behind.
Quote from: rookie2531 on May 24, 2015, 08:20:37 PM
as a little ahead seems to be far behind.
You said a mouthful there indeed my Friend. G