Well this morning I was up in the carport getting ready to go out into town, and noticed a couple of bees hanging around near the rafters.
Being that it's swarm season here (Tasmania, Australia) I decided to pop a baited box up in the open roof and see what they thought of it.
The top box has old, drawn comb in frames, the bottom box is empty because i didn't have any extras. I put a cotton ball with lemongrass essential oil on it, inside a folded piece of A4 paper on the bottom board. I strapped it together with a lid on and climbed on a chair and put it up near the bees that were hanging around.
I went out, came back, and viola! BEES!!
they're coming and going - I have a video uploading will share when done - and unless it's the same 20 bees doing some strange revolving door dance.. well i'd say a swarm has decided it's a nice place to live :D
I'm concerned the door is open too wide for a weak hive to defend - should I perhaps close it a little?
I'm going to let them establish before I consider moving them (the carport is really not an attractive location!) but I'm hoping that it's indeed a full swarm and that they are setting up house with a nice young, vigorous queen in there.
https://youtu.be/TuNHx9BowT0 (https://youtu.be/TuNHx9BowT0)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12360295_1180574145304327_2710212100876684049_n.jpg?oh=a779b01a4ea445f92ef46eb77c46aa35&oe=571F1603)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/v/t1.0-9/12345407_1180573981971010_4706064343604895106_n.jpg?oh=4afdb664419d4b70e3129bdf9820ca4b&oe=56ED41EA)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xta1/t31.0-8/12357114_1180573991971009_6363596335968827594_o.jpg)
(https://scontent-lax3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xtl1/t31.0-8/12362719_1180574021971006_450925025023674851_o.jpg)
If you have a syrup feeder that may help them decided - "room service" - besides it will help them build comb quicker
Cool.
Whereabouts in the NE are you dunderi?
I put a feeder nearby, which attracted attention reasonably quickly.
I'm in Branxholm :)
I'm really hoping that it's a) an actual swarm b) that they stick around and c) that I don't fluff it up by moving the box to ground level after dark tonight :D
Brilliant 😊
Must be the weather as i think ive got one today too move into a swarm trap.
The other two had a lot of activity too but theyre quiet now evening is drawing in.
Quote from: Flycaster on December 10, 2015, 05:27:10 AM
Brilliant 😊
Must be the weather as i think ive got one today too move into a swarm trap.
The other two had a lot of activity too but theyre quiet now evening is drawing in.
how did you go with yours? I'm a bit disappointed - went up to pop a queen excluder into mine and there's nothing doing. i've got bees everywhere today but nothing in the boxes.... bleugh.
Well when I left for work this morning there was nothing happening 😕 But it was quite chilly and there weren't many bees on any of the plants either.
There were a couple going in and out last orders last night but nothing this morning. I didn't pull the box down to have a look I'll just leave them till I know for sure I think.
Could be scouts- give em time
What Herb said. I let them go for several weeks. That way they have created a lot of wax and not so prone to leave when you move them.
Jim
Swarms are good - one I caught a few months back just produced 28.5Kg on its first robbing - Happy little Vegemites
Wow.... thats very impressive. The scout bees obviously got outvoted at my place. 😕
Did the first inspection of a small cut out that I picked up around 2 weeks ago, this was definitely not a feral swarm, the queen had a yellow paint mark.
wow!
I got a swarm call on Wednesday last week for a swarm that they thought had been there a day or so maybe. They were trying to tempt them into a cardboard box.
I crawled in the roof cavity and couldn't see our hear them so we went in from the eaves soffit;
couple kilos of bees, couple kilos of new comb and honey - and they are angry angry bees! !
I reckon we got the Queen though, they've been bearding a lot over the new box with all the hot weather too.
Nice 😊.
They might calm down a bit when they settle in ... fingers crossed
That's just too cool, good for you!