swarm????

forrestcav · April 09, 2011, 07:44:15 PM

so I went to my barn today where I have my loaner deeps waiting for when my ladies get here in may. :) I notice three unknown ladies scoping it out. So I moved a single deep and five frames of fountation in the newly created bee yard. I don't have drawn comb as it my first year. You think they were scout bees for a potential swarm? I'm probaly hoping against hope, but who knows, I figure they smell the pheramones from an old hive. opinions???

The Bix · April 09, 2011, 07:47:33 PM

I'm guessing that they probably do smell the "bee smell" from a previous hive. But, were I you, I'd score some lemongrass oil, put a bit into a cotton ball and drop that into your deep. You might get lucky and catch a swarm. :)

iddee · April 09, 2011, 08:46:42 PM

If the box has room for more frames, fill it up NOW!! Yes, NOW!! If a swarm moves into a half empty box, you will have the worst mess of your life. You will be back here crying ""what do I do now.""

Get the box filled NOW!!

forrestcav · April 09, 2011, 11:37:40 PM

ok. I guess i'll assemble some more foundation tomorrow. I just didn't want to tempt any maurading wax moths in the area. I only have enough foundation to fill ten frames.

iddee · April 10, 2011, 12:14:31 AM

Wax moths won't attack foundation in a hive. Only drawn comb.

forrestcav · April 10, 2011, 10:54:54 AM

ah.ok.I'm glad to hear that. i'll insall more this a.m.

The Bix · April 10, 2011, 03:49:10 PM

I read somewhere that wax moths need protein for their eggs and don't lay into fresh drawn comb or comb where nectar was stored. Rather, they lay into brood comb or comb where pollen has been stored. Would like to hear from someone with more experience.

backyard warrior · April 10, 2011, 06:20:51 PM

this is true the moth like drawn comb that had brood in it. They will not destroy new drawn comb

forrestcav · April 10, 2011, 06:43:51 PM

well there are 10 frames of fondation sitting in a deep waiting for any ladies hat wold like to take residence. I am gonna see if anyone I know has lemongrass oil and I will add that for incentive.

tandemrx · April 10, 2011, 10:36:43 PM

Quote from: iddee on April 09, 2011, 08:46:42 PM
If the box has room for more frames, fill it up NOW!! Yes, NOW!! If a swarm moves into a half empty box, you will have the worst mess of your life. You will be back here crying ""what do I do now.""

Get the box filled NOW!!

iddee,
your experience is that they build comb in all the empty space rather than just on the frames given to them (especially if some already have drawn comb)? Even if one watches a bait hive carefully and takes it down within a few days of occupation? I was just looking at the MAAREC bait hive publication and they specifically suggest that when using a langstroth as a bait hive that adding 3-5 hives is as good at 10 (intuitively I would think that when a bee is evaluating a bait hive that it would interpret at least a partially open box as possibly having more room, thus more acceptable as a swarm location - that notion coming from how Tom Seeley presents the method a scout bee evaluates/measures the space of a potential home for a swarm):

"To convert an old hive body into a bait hive you need to close the bottom and top of the box with wood such as plywood. You can use a single frame or as many as 10 but there is no advantage to using more than 3-5 frames."

just curious

iddee · April 10, 2011, 10:47:13 PM

And if you buy a commercial swarm trap, it has no frames in it, nor a place to put any. Bees prefer to draw their own comb. You may have a better chance of catching a swarm if you are willing to cut out comb and wire it into frames. You may lessen the chance by making them use frames. That I don't know, but I'm not taking that chance. If there is open space, they will fill it first.