Swarm Trap In Action

[johnauck]

One of my swarm traps has attracted a swarm today. My first trap. It has been hanging up for several months now, I was beginning to have my doubts.

Our neighbors would freak out, luckily they are away this weekend.
I guess my next step is to wait until they are all in, later this evening? And move them away.

Should I attempt to transfer them to a super just yet?











cheers

john

[Oak]

Hi Johnauck,

Well done, nice trapping.

I just moved mine two feet at a time but you have another property to move them to?

Mine was a 10 frame broodbox which they filled in a week or two. I assume a nuc sized trap would need to be moved into an eight or ten frame hive a few days after capture?

Good luck

[iddee]

Lot of opinions about that, but I would give them 3 to 5 days to have eggs and larva, then move them into a hive.

[johnauck]

Thanx Oak,

I sealed them up last night, and lifted them down this morning and moved them about 10 meters away. They are sitting behind a shrub, and I put some leaves in the entrance to help them reorient. Its lunchtime now and there are about 20-30 bees hanging around the original trap site. I expect they will figure it out by the end of the day. It is a bit drizzly so not too many flying. There are 2 hives and 2 Nucs and an observation hive entrance all close by so if they don't find their way back to the trap box they might join one of the other colonies.

Yes, I have another property to take them to which I will do on the weekend. I would have liked to leave them hanging on the tree for a few days then move them but I don't want to upset the neighbours.

Nice going with the 10 frame box, they are building up fast at the moment. I had to split my observation hive a couple of weeks ago. So another small NUC (started with 1 frame brood and one honey) . The obs hive drew out and filled up 2 new frames in about a week.


john

[johnauck]

Lot of opinions about that, but I would give them 3 to 5 days to have eggs and larva, then move them into a hive.

I will be transporting them to another property on the weekend, so should give queen time to start laying. I have taken them down fomr the tree though, but they can stay in the trap, it is just a 5 frame nuc so they should be fine for now.


john