first swarm trap catch.

[Roy Coates]

I brought home a feral log hive last November. The tree had fallen and I cut a 6 foot section out and loaded it the truck. I placed in out back and covered the canoe shaped hole with luan and gave a small entrance. This colony survied the winter. One day about a week ago my wife and I got to observe them swarm out and into the woods. I trekked for about an hour hoping to locate, no luck. I had bait hives near the log on the ground and one on top of the log anticipating that colony swarming.

So the next day I made swarm traps (D. Coates style) and put one in a tree about 23 feet resting on an old tree stand. I placed top bars with foundation comb guides, brushed the inside with some melted comb(honey wax and whatever else was in the old comb) and a lemongrass oil swarm lure(cotton inside a straw)

3 days later I had activity at the entrance. Yesterday I inspected and sure enough they are building out comb.

I suppose it is possible that the log hive swarmed again or that the prime swarm moved in. Either way I managed to catch a swarm and am very excited about that. I inspected all my other first year hives and nuc's and none appear to have swarmed, at least to my untrained eye

[Georgia Boy]

Congratulations!

Still trying to catch my first one myself. So far no luck.

David

[10framer]

Congratulations!

Still trying to catch my first one myself. So far no luck.

David

david i think the window of opportunity is pretty much closed for the year down here unless you catch some absconding bees that had beetle issues.  if i catch any bees that failed because of beetles this summer/ fall they will be re-queend early next year.  don't want bees that don't fight beetles in my gene pool.
congratulations roy, didn't mean to hijack.

[thatguy324]

has my window closed to am in alabama i think as long as we do not have a winter like last im still good

[Roy Coates]

are area has had a slow start imho cold and wet spring still in the 60's at night. I forget who said it: if bees swarm they are geared up to build and  prep for the winter and therefore are worth hiving. I do cut out as late of August. I get paid well and bonus if the bees survive.