Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: ktmwoodsrider on March 20, 2011, 09:53:14 pm
-
Wife caught a swarm last May across the street form us. Out of curiosity we walked around the neighborhood today, and found 3 feral hives within 400 yard radius of our house(furthest hive was 200 yards from our backyard). Planning on setting out some medium boxes with lemongrass oil in them for traps(in late April). Do we even need to bother spacing them out through the neighborhood or are we good just putting them in our backyard?
Thanks,
Rick
-
Thats a good question. I want to know the same. Thanks for asking.
-
The more traps you put out the better your chances.
...JP
-
Here are some tips for swarm traps. Although I don't put all mine so high in the tree. :-D
10 things to consider for swarm trap success
Honey Bees…..
* prefer a swarm trap (colony location) about 8 to 15 feet off the ground.
* will disregard a trap with light coming in from above.
* prefer a trap equivalent to a cavity size slightly larger than a deep brood
box.
* will select sites in the afternoon shade. They may abandon a site within a
few days if in full sun and heat is an issue.
* prefer bait hives with entrances facing south.
* prefer a entrance towards the bottom of the cavity.
* prefer a unobstructed flight path from the entrance.
* will not take up residence in a bait hive that has other insects in them.
Keep them free of wasps, yellow jackets, etc.
* prefer a bait hive that is dry.
* prefer a previously used site that has a honey bee smell of old comb, or
one that has baited with bee scent.
While swarms have been known to go as far as two feet to the empty hive sitting next to the hive that issued the swarm, tests have also shown that if bees had identical swarm traps to choose from spaced every 100 meters, they will go about 900 meters on average. But distance is greatly dictated by housing availability.
-
Just like fishing, the more hooks you have in the water the better chance of catching a fish, and not all of the fish are in one spot.
-
Thanks for the replies. Will spread them out wherever neighbors will let me. Is 3 tree hives this close together typical? Only walked 3 blocks from the house and found these easily...wondering how many are actually within swarm distance from me!
-
I spend alot of time in the woods year round. I squirrel hunt with feist squirrel dogs and train pups. I haven't seen a bee tree in six years here in the area I hunt in middle TN, and I cover a lota ground. Wish I had that many bee trees in my area. Good luck with your traps.
-
I spend alot of time in the woods year round. I squirrel hunt with feist squirrel dogs and train pups. I haven't seen a bee tree in six years here in the area I hunt in middle TN, and I cover a lota ground. Wish I had that many bee trees in my area. Good luck with your traps.
ditto in east TN.
-
Along the lines of 3 feet or 3 miles... If I place a bait hive in the yard and attract a swarm will I cause problems by transferring the bars to a full sized TBH perhaps 100 meters distant?