Bees in beetle traps?

[BeeMaster2]

marktrl....is your #8  galvanized?

Carol,
I have not seen any #8 that is not galvanized. Even the larger SHBs will squeeze their way through when the bees are after them.
Jim

[Carol]

Sawdustmkr...thanks....I'll try #8 on the other one....and if I don't find any bees we'll redo the first one...I found a live bee in the tray this morning with a few dead ones. No oil...just a light film where I wiped it out.  Wasn't happy finding a live one.

[BeeMaster2]

Sounds good. They will not get through the #8.
Jim

[marktrl]

"marktrl....is your #8  galvanized?"

Yes. Any SBB you buy will be made with galvanized.

[Carol]

Just let 4 live bees out of the trap...glad I have no oil in it. #8 for sure!!

[Intheswamp]

If they still get in after installing #8 mesh then you definitely have a gap somewhere else...they will not go through #8.

[Carol]

storming now so cant make a change...have already let over 25 live one out. I check it every hour or so. Just put a couple blocks of wood in so they dont have to sit on metal tray all night and maybe climb out. I'll put the regular bottom board on tomorrow and use that till I can get some #8

[GSF]

Carol, I have had the bees come in from the back side as well. If the tray don't seal up the area when it's in they will crawl through a crack that you'd think is too small for them to crawl through.

[Carol]

GSF...Jim put wood all around the end so no cracks.  I checked the pan ever hour or so all day yesterday and today...every time I had to release several bees. We put the old bottom board back on until we can get some #8  and redo the traps. I've checked it all over and can see no way for the bees to get through other than the mesh...everything is sealed tight or stapled and glued in. We are working on our rear deck and it will be a few days before we can get the #8 and get it redone ...girls didn't seem to mind.

[GSF]

<The only times I've had bees get trapped is when one of the wires on the aluminum screen shift. It doesn't take much of a shift to allow bees to enter.>

I don't want to keep beating a dead horse, but like Ray said, it don't take much of a shift from one of those wires to make a way for bees to get in.

[Carol]

I'll do a more thorough check but with natural cell bees, they are very small bees ..just seemed like too many were getting in there. Probably had over a hundred dead and I must have released that many live ones...only one or two dead ones. I put small blocks of wood for them to sit on instead of the cold pan and there were always bees on them. It's possible they would have been able to crawl back up (thats why the blocks) but didn't want to take the chance.Once I started letting them out I only found a couple dead ones. no oil.

[Carol]

removed the oil trap....replaced it with the original bottom board....havn't had a chance to re make the oil trays...so will most likely have them done for next spring.