Swarm trap question

BeeMaster2 · July 09, 2018, 02:05:47 PM

Bush,
That is a good size swarm. Nice.
Jim

Bush_84 · July 09, 2018, 03:09:33 PM

My saving grace is that these swarms weren?t noticed for approximately a week. The two I had at other people?s houses were nearly built out with com and had capped brood. I am practically out of comb. I had all this excess comb this spring. All I have left is what I deemed to be crap comb and it?s about eight combs. These last two swarms I caught I installed in just a single 8 frame deep and then supers above an excluder. Not sure if I?ll leave it in this arrangement or install another deep at some point. I know some winter in a single deep but I use 8 frame.

Ben Framed · July 09, 2018, 04:31:57 PM

Quote from: moebees on June 24, 2018, 04:58:42 PM
Quote from: Bush_84 on June 24, 2018, 01:22:29 PM
So I?m still a big swarm noob. I?ve caught my second swarm. One last year and one this year. Both in the same exact spot. It seems that once I catch a swarm and move it to my stand (same yard), I can?t hang it up again for a few weeks. If I hang something up I get bees returning. A few weeks may as well be the rest of the swarm season. Can I hang more than one box on this tree? It?s a huge tree. The kind you can?t get your arms around. I could probably fit four on there and. To come close to touching. Will this work or even be useful?

If I understand your question, and what you are doing, it sounds like your swarm trap is close to where you are placing the hive? So you are seeing foragers return to the swarm trap location after you remove the swarm? That is going to happen unless you move the swarm a few miles away from the trap location. If you cannot do that the only thing you can do is move them after dark. Then place branches and leaves in front of the entrance so that when the foragers emerge in the morning they will reorient. Otherwise they will keep returning to the trap location because that is where they know home is.

Moe hit the nail right on the head!! Good advice Moe. especially the part, "If you cannot do that the only thing you can do is move them after dark. Then place branches and leaves in front of the entrance so that when the foragers emerge in the morning they will reorient. Otherwise they will keep returning to the trap location because that is where they know home is." Also, It would be wise to catch and cage the queen for a couple days before releasing her. There is a fellow from Louisana that has found a honey hole for bee swarms. He places at least 4 catch boxes around a home and has caught as many as 4 boxes, swarms, within a short period of time! Once he had all four boxes full at the same time when he went back checking on them. So sure, go for more boxes in the tree, good common sense on your part. Thanks Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"

Bush_84 · July 09, 2018, 11:39:54 PM

So I?m up to six swarms. I got a call tonight from the person who had already caught one. I was going to retrieve the trap tomorrow morning. He told me that it looks like there?s a swarm hanging in a tree not even ten feet away from the trap. Sure enough. I decided to put this one in my big mini mating nuc boxes. It holds eight half medium frames. I managed to squeeze them into two of these boxes, although they didn?t want to leave the third box that I used as a funnel. I didn?t have any frames to fill that box. When I bring them home I?ll add that third box.

On the way to his house I called a lady that lives close to him. About 15 minutes. She had a swarm trap at her house and I hadn?t heard from her. Sure enough she also had a swarm. I tried to get them all in with smoke but they had a pretty big beard. They had also started a small comb on the bottom of the box, I assume from overcrowding and constant bearding.

So I?ll head back at sunrise and pick them up. Beards are much more tame in the morning. I?m pumped! I?ve doubled my hive count for free! I?m going to have to get creative with stand space now and brood combs.

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

Ben Framed · July 09, 2018, 11:58:43 PM

Quote from: Bush_84 on July 09, 2018, 11:39:54 PM
So I?m up to six swarms. I got a call tonight from the person who had already caught one. I was going to retrieve the trap tomorrow morning. He told me that it looks like there?s a swarm hanging in a tree not even ten feet away from the trap. Sure enough. I decided to put this one in my big mini mating nuc boxes. It holds eight half medium frames. I managed to squeeze them into two of these boxes, although they didn?t want to leave the third box that I used as a funnel. I didn?t have any frames to fill that box. When I bring them home I?ll add that third box.

On the way to his house I called a lady that lives close to him. About 15 minutes. She had a swarm trap at her house and I hadn?t heard from her. Sure enough she also had a swarm. I tried to get them all in with smoke but they had a pretty big beard. They had also started a small comb on the bottom of the box, I assume from overcrowding and constant bearding.

So I?ll head back at sunrise and pick them up. Beards are much more tame in the morning. I?m pumped! I?ve doubled my hive count for free! I?m going to have to get creative with stand space now and brood combs.

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

Congratulations on the catch and the extra bees!!

cao · July 10, 2018, 12:38:06 AM

Quote from: Bush_84 on July 09, 2018, 11:39:54 PM
So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

I've found that swarms love to draw comb. I have been cutting 1 inch strips from the plastic foundation and using it as starter strips after dipping them in a coat of wax. I've found that the swarms I've caught take to it very well.

You gotta love the free bees.

Bush_84 · July 10, 2018, 10:22:37 AM

Quote from: cao on July 10, 2018, 12:38:06 AM
Quote from: Bush_84 on July 09, 2018, 11:39:54 PM
So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?
I've found that swarms love to draw comb. I have been cutting 1 inch strips from the plastic foundation and using it as starter strips after dipping them in a coat of wax. I've found that the swarms I've caught take to it very well.

You gotta love the free bees.

My main concern about that is that my swarm traps will never be level. Trees aren?t level. So they can start right where you want them to, which so far they all have, but at some point they start to lose track. With foundation they just build that out and no worries. I generally am foundtionless. I find that bees draw comb out quicker but tend to draw more drone comb than I want. I?m to the point where I am feeling less stingy and don?t want to bother with anymore drone comb.