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Author Topic: When to remove a swarm trap  (Read 4617 times)

Offline KeyLargoBees

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When to remove a swarm trap
« on: April 28, 2016, 12:58:04 pm »
Learning things every day.....replaced the swarm trap that caught a swarm last week and within 24 hours  I had more active scouting...not surprising since there are multiple feral hives within 3/4 miles of this location...scout activity continued hot and heavy  for three days and then I saw a change in activity on the front of the box and started seeing bees with pollen in their baskets landing on the entrance...I figured I just missed the swarm moving in and that they were settled in....gave it another day and then prepared to remove the trap in the evening....got sidetracked and had a few beers and decided that the trap could stay up as it was another day and I didn't need to be climbing a ladder and handling a trap full of bees after a few beers  :grin:

In any event this trap is just outside my home office window and i'll be darned if at around 2:00 PM the next day I didn't see the swarm move in....see video link.....point is that scout bees can have pollen baskets full but act different than if they are depositing it in the hive....so just seeing bees with pollen on their legs on the front of a swarm trap is not a definitive indication the swarm has moved in. Difference in activity now that the swarm has moved in is that pollen laden bees come in for a landing and go into the trap to deposit they don't dawdle like they were before.

https://youtu.be/nO6x5ptLKKg

Bees are amazing critters and I learn something every day :-)
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
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Offline OldMech

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #1 on: April 30, 2016, 06:37:06 pm »
HEY! Chalk up another save to BEER!!!!!
39 Hives and growing.  Havent found the end of the comfort zone yet.

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2016, 07:51:06 am »
Beer is the solution for many problems great and small :-)

Put the trap back on the tree again on Saturday and already have 30+ scouts on it....if they move in this will be the third swarm trapped on this same tree LOL.
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2016, 01:05:19 pm »
Jeff,
You may have had bees from the first swarm that got left behind trying to bring in pollen to that hive. The second swarm decided it was a weak enough hive to take over and moved in.
I just had this happen in my apiary. Brought in 2 small swarms in nuc boxes from a hive that the swarm split in 2 and the home owner tried to set them on fire.  He killed half of the big swarm and burned his neighbors fence.
2 days later a swarm came into my apiary, in the rain and proceeded to over ride both nuc boxes. I thought it would help both nucs but within a week neither one made it.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline KeyLargoBees

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2016, 03:47:44 pm »
interesting.... you are right there were some bees returning and clustering on the tree for several days after the first time so I delayed putting it back up and left if down for a full three days  this second time I did a better job of forcing them to reorient and I didn't see any bees in the area where the trap was the day after and then waited a full three days to put the trap back up....activity was really high yesterday but is back down today to just a few scouts today.

Traffic at the two swarms that were hived in NUC boxes is about what you would expect...there are enough bees to cover three frames in one and they are building out nicely and the other has 4 frames covered and will get a second story this weekend.


And seriously he burned down his fence? and he knows your a BEEKEEPER? Why not just come and get you in the first place LOL?
« Last Edit: May 02, 2016, 04:22:28 pm by KeyLargoBees »
Jeff Wingate

Changes in Latitudes...Changes in Attitudes....are Florida Keys bees more laid back than the rest of the country...only time will tell!!!
piratehatapiary@gmail.com https://www.facebook.com/piratehatapiary

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2016, 10:42:14 pm »
"And seriously he burned down his fence? and he knows your a BEEKEEPER? Why not just come and get you in the first place LOL?"
His neighbor, who saw his fence on fire, called me after the 2 of them got the fire out. It took an hour to get it out, he almost had to call the fire department. The whole time there were thousands of bees all flying around him. He did not get stung. Surprisingly considering the way he described the flailing while trying to get it out.
He has my number now for the next swarm. I found the parent hive in a large pine tree not more than 10' from the fence.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin

Offline superbee

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2016, 01:56:48 pm »
I normally wait until pollen is coming in to move the trap.  I only move it at night.  Sometimes i put a wire cone pointed into the box to make a one way valve. 

I enjoyed the story of the fence being burned down.  I wish there was a youtube video of that.  Sorry for the bees but it is a great story to share as a warning.

Offline SmokeEater2

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #7 on: May 04, 2016, 05:33:24 pm »
"And seriously he burned down his fence? and he knows your a BEEKEEPER? Why not just come and get you in the first place LOL?"
His neighbor, who saw his fence on fire, called me after the 2 of them got the fire out. It took an hour to get it out, he almost had to call the fire department. The whole time there were thousands of bees all flying around him. He did not get stung. Surprisingly considering the way he described the flailing while trying to get it out.
He has my number now for the next swarm. I found the parent hive in a large pine tree not more than 10' from the fence.
Jim


 The things that grown people will do is absolutely amazing but they keep me employed. 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: When to remove a swarm trap
« Reply #8 on: May 04, 2016, 08:06:29 pm »
And thank you for your service Smokeater
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
Ben Franklin