Alabama Swarm Trapping...

[CapnChkn]

Caught the first swarm on May 1st.  That one in a trap I set on the stand I intend to put the nucs on, 18 inches off the ground.  This trap is one I expected to see bees in at the beginning of April, because I've been feeding since February.

I have finally gotten interest in the satellite traps, I had no interest in any others until the 1st when I went to check them, two bees in one a half mile away, 1 lone orienting bee in a trap close to the Tennessee river.

One trap had no scouting bees, and was in such a hard place to find, I simply took it home after searching in the woods for about 2 hours.  One other I moved down a trail with coyote tracks, also having no interest even though there were bees all over the white clover in the trails left by fishermen 300 feet away.

I've got to devise some kind of frame to pack these boxes, when full, oot de woods...

Happy Bees, Happy Honey everyone!

[10framer]

talked to my friend up there yesterday and he described what sounds like a pesticide kill. 

[Joe D]

Way to go on your swarm catching.  Are you wanting something to bring the swarm out of the woods in or with?  I haven't put up traps yet, but when I get a swarm in a tree, I have got to taking a good size plastic container.  I shake the bees into it, put the lid on, take them home and shake into a hive.  Good luck to you and your bees




Joe

[GSF]

Capn; How'd you fare through the tornados? My sister said they would be without electricity at least another two weeks. Good luck with the swarm traps, mine hasn't gotten anything yet. Oh well, there's always splits.

[CapnChkn]

10framer, in an apiary?  I still don't have TV, I pretty much get all my entertainment from the Internet.  I might hear about it next meeting, every month with 31 days here.

Joe D, I over-engineer everything.  These are modified DCoates 5 frame nucs in various styles.  I like the shape; with 3/8th inch external sheeting, they're light and about suitcase sized.  I've been tying a rope harness to form a handle, but the more I look for places without managed bees, the harder it is to schlep them by hand.  I just put a screen cover over the entrance and carry them back to civilization.

I'm now over-engineering a frame so I can backpack these bees out.  I've already got the bamboo curing...

GSF, I didn't see a whole lot of wind or rain.  This is the first time I've lived by mountains in about 35 years, and there's a hill with thick woods by me here.  I checked the other trap close by, it has a good 12 or more bees hanging out inside, but I get one of those every year.  It's like they have a party or something.

Last year's caught a swarm late, I wonder if it's scouts squatting, confused scouts from a swarm that took up residence in another place, or kids hanging out in the "crib."  This is my 4th year doing this...

[nordak]

Grats on the catch! This is my first year beekeeping, and I am a complete newbee. I have been lucky enough to catch 2 swarms, one on April 22 and one on April 29 here in west central Arkansas. I initially thought the scouting on the second trap might have been my original catch thinking about absconding. To my delight, that was not the case. Both have been transferred to hives and by all appearances are thriving.

We have a huge red wasp population here, and I have had to be diligent in keeping them out of the traps. The scouting activity will completely shut down once a wasp gets near a trap I've noticed. Good luck on the rest of your traps!

[10framer]

in his backyard.  i think maybe he tried to expand the hives a little too much and got caught by the late frost.

[CapnChkn]

Well, I have been around and 2 more of the traps have a swarm as far as I can tell.  They're flying out and coming back, instead of out, around the hive, back into the entrance and so on.  I have to untie these and can't lower them, because I've stopped pulling them up by a line tossed over a branch.  When they were lowered, I would see returning foragers trying to find the moved entrance.