SWARM CALL

BMAC · June 06, 2007, 08:40:54 AM

Well swarms have been far and few between this year. I got an email from a co-worker that asked me how to remove a colony from a small tree. Well I went out to her house and they showed me the tree they were in. It was a swarm and it left before I got there. I told her to call next time. Oh well maybe next time.

Her husband wants to spray the branch were they landed with insecticide to keep them from landing there again. I tried to explain to him that they were just looking for another home and them landing on their branch is a fluke. It probably will never happen again. He still insisted on spraying the branch. :roll:

Understudy · June 06, 2007, 09:32:26 AM

Let him spray the branch. It won't make any difference. The bees aren't there. And the rain and time will wash away the pesticide. If a swarm returns to that location it is just another swarm looking for a home.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

rdy-b · June 06, 2007, 11:03:22 PM

tell him to use bleach safe & sane RDY-B

JP · June 08, 2007, 07:21:48 AM

B-mac, may I also suggest that you put out a swarm trap at this person's house. Swarm traps work.

BMAC · June 08, 2007, 08:52:37 AM

Putting a swarm trap at his house is a fantastic idea. I thought about asking him. I need to think more about it.

JP · June 08, 2007, 08:55:38 PM

Tell your friend that instead of the bees landing and perhaps making a hive in his house, you can intercept them with the use of a trap. Make sure you use a lure in the trap. I get mine from Dadant.

Understudy · June 09, 2007, 12:20:26 AM

I try to leave a swarm trap behind at each cut out I do.
You would be amazed at the success rate.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

rdy-b · June 09, 2007, 02:09:42 AM

leave a no pest stripe inside the wall you would be amazed :-D

JP · June 09, 2007, 03:48:46 AM

rdy-b, what's your experience with the no pest strip?

JP · June 09, 2007, 03:52:29 AM

Hey Brendhan, when you leave the traps at your cut-outs, do you get swarms with queens, and or both, new swarms, with queens, and bees which are stragglers from your cut-outs?

Understudy · June 09, 2007, 07:45:18 AM

Quote from: JP on June 09, 2007, 03:52:29 AM
Hey Brendhan, when you leave the traps at your cut-outs, do you get swarms with queens, and or both, new swarms, with queens, and bees which are stragglers from your cut-outs?

Swarm traps at cut outs perform two purposes.
1. If I do a cut out and don't get the queen the hive is likely to abscond. The swarm trap provides a great place for them to abscond to.
2. After a cut out if bees do come to the area, they tend to use the swarm trap which is easier than cutting holes in the wall.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

JP · June 09, 2007, 09:52:09 AM

Great idea, I'm gonna try it, I think it would be especially beneficial on cut-outs with large numbers of bees.

rdy-b · June 09, 2007, 07:49:45 PM

JP IT will help the straglerbees sleep better :-D and in case of robing it will sour the milk.most of the time we use coppernapanate? to mask the smells left behind from the old hive.but nobody wants that in there living room.being called back because of bee activity is no fun and it is not fair to expect the home owner to wait six weeks for a cluster the size of a golf ball and has no queen to die. these things i speak of should only be done if you are qaulified person. 8-) RDY-b

JP · June 09, 2007, 11:01:10 PM

You do use or don't use copper naphthanate? :? I wonder how long a residual effect the pest stips would leave.

rdy-b · June 11, 2007, 01:41:48 AM

JP we use the coppernapanate when the risk of the strong odor that it genorates(especaly in the warmth of the sun) Is not a concern something like a shed wall maybe garage wall. but you woudnt want to use it on a bedroom wall or somplace that people congragat they would notice the smell. ;) it dose keep the hive smell out for a very long time and helps prevent reocurance.the strips are very low residual. remember pepole hang them in there homes for mosqitos and small flies. pepole have also told me that a dog flea collar will over time elimanate an unwanted colony.please dont get the wrong impresion. a lot of pepole fell that such things are not nesecary, just be responsable in your eforts.READ ALL LABELES and dont get any on you :-D these things i speak of should only be done by a qualified person

BMAC · June 11, 2007, 01:34:18 PM

I like the idea of leaving a swarm trap behind. I am doing this for the last colony I removed. As for the colony I pulled out of the roof. It was a small capped off area so when we put it back together we just stuff the entire thing full of R13 insulation. Then I went around the edges of the cap with the Poly expanding foam before the roofer was called back out to re-shingle that section.

rdy-b · June 11, 2007, 07:43:37 PM

the bees can chew through the expanding foam we have best results with stuffing steell wooll in the gap and calking it. RDY-B

BMAC · June 12, 2007, 09:48:10 AM

THANKS. I didnt figure they would mess with expanding foam.