building swarm traps

[danno]

has anyone tried to build traps.  Manufactured traps are cheap but shipping doubles the cost.  If I was to build square luan boxes 13" wide by 14" tall with a bottom enterance would this work. They would be light enough to pull up in a tree with a rope.  After a bad fall three years ago my wife doesn't allow me on ladders anymore.  Maybe even coat the inside with melted wax using a roller and lure.

[Understudy]

Build a duck box or Owl box. I find swarms in those all the time. Never ducks or owls. :mrgreen:

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[jimmyo]

I build small boxes that will hold about 3 deep frames of old comb and a little extra space.  I hang them in trees and it works well.  Sometimes I use lure sometimes not.   

[Robo]

I've built some out of plywood and some out of 12" sonatube.

[Cindi]

Rob, nice job!!!  I bet the red colour really attracts the bees, hee, hee, lovely day in this great life.  Cindi

[JP]

Rob, nice job!!!  I bet the red colour really attracts the bees, hee, hee, lovely day in this great life.  Cindi

Bees see red as black.

...JP

[Michael Bush]

Since they are red and bees can't see red, aren't they invisible? ;)

[JP]

Since they are red and bees can't see red, aren't they invisible? ;)

Now Michael, you know they see them as black, come on. They were painted red so Rob could see them from 10 miles away!

...JP

[Robo]

They where painted red because that is the cheap barn paint Lowe's sells :-D

[randydrivesabus]

Since they are red and bees can't see red, aren't they invisible? ;)

and so make for an excellent trap. they don't even realize they are trapped.

[Brian D. Bray]

Since they are red and bees can't see red, aren't they invisible? ;)

and so make for an excellent trap. they don't even realize they are trapped.

Most color blind people I know can tell you which shade of gray is blue fairly easily.  On the other hand, Red looks white to them.  Back in the late 50's and early 60's when Ford had those big round taillights my color blind friens couldn't tell which way a car was going.  Fords looked the same to them front or back at night.

Old Ice cream buckets ought to work great.

[jimmyo]

Robo,
    I want to build some like yours but I want to put a removable frame of old comb inside the sonatube. What did you do?
Jim   

[Kathyp]

there is something about the small round hole.

the bees i just cut out were accessing their hive through small holes in old concrete form plywood.  i have two hives that use vent holes rather than the bottom opening.  i think robos design is pretty good.

[Robo]

Robo,
    I want to build some like yours but I want to put a removable frame of old comb inside the sonatube. What did you do?
Jim   

I took a 2x3 and cut it round on one side to fit inside both ends of the tube.  I dadoed a groove in the 2x3 to hold frames. 

[Cindi]

Rob, you haven't told us if your black sonjatube and black boxes caught any swarms yet, hee, hee,  :-X  Have a beautiful day to hold in the palm of your hand.  Cindi

[Robo]

Still too early yet for swarms.   Saw my first pollen being bought in last week

[danno]

Rob what is the length and width of you sona tubes
As for your pollen I installed 5 packages sat night and they were bringing in pollen sunday afternoon. Very cool!!!

[Robo]

Hi Danno,

I thought I responded to your PM on the size, but if not, I apologize.

The sonatube is 12" diameter and 22" long and has 3 deep frames in it.  I put a deep frame of old comb in the middle with an empty frame on each side.

rob...

[Robo]

Here ya go danno, a photo of the inside showing the 2x3 with the dado that holds the frames.  I didn't have any deeps handy, so I just used the shallow to demonstrate.




rob...

[Cindi]

Oh, my kingdom to have the skills to build anything that involves carpentry, you are a fortunate bunch, beautiful and most wonderful day, Cindi