Welcome, Guest
Login or Register
Home
« previous next »
Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Down

Author Topic: Swarm Out of Reach  (Read 957 times)

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Swarm Out of Reach
« on: April 11, 2024, 01:31:25 pm »
Well my luck finally ran out (after 5 years!), and I had a hive swarm and land up too far in a tree for me to reach them with a ladder.  I'm surprised they swarmed right now, because we are having on and off rain that is due to continue all day.  It took about 10 minutes for them to even decide where to settle because of the weather.  They picked the trunk of an old dogwood about 15-20 ft. off the ground, and they aren't hanging nicely, they are spread all down the trunk trying to stay out of the weather.  I'm thinking the rain may force a decision out of them quickly, so I'm going to set up a hive sort of like a swarm trap and see if they pick it.  Any other ideas about how to get them?  I'll post a picture of where they are when/if it stops raining. 
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #1 on: April 11, 2024, 02:13:53 pm »
Here's some pictures.
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12727
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #2 on: April 11, 2024, 02:18:13 pm »
You might try this good idea posted recently by beesnweeds. He is always coming up with good stuff!

Quote from: beesnweeds on April 09, 2024, 07:17:12 pm
Quote from: .30WCF on April 09, 2024, 06:04:33 pm
It?s like an Easter Egg hunt.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Instead of hoping you can find and catch your swarms you can toss a rope over the branch and pull up a Russian scion or an old brood frame with a roof on it.  That way you can just lower them into a box.
Logged
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #3 on: April 11, 2024, 03:18:29 pm »
I did see that on the other thread, but the trouble is I don't have a nuc box (I know, I know, I should really get one).  This tree also doesn't really have a good place to toss a rope over that I would trust it to hold. 
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12727
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #4 on: April 11, 2024, 03:22:35 pm »
Maybe you can try using a empty brood frame? Beach nothing? And you might get lucky :-). But you did mention the rain so I don?t know if you can catch it after the rain ends?
« Last Edit: April 11, 2024, 11:40:19 pm by Ben Framed »
Logged
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #5 on: April 11, 2024, 04:13:35 pm »
Quote from: Ben Framed on April 11, 2024, 03:22:35 pm
Maybe you can try using an empty brood frame? Beats nothing? And you might get lucky :-)
Maybe.  It might be worth a shot, especially if they end up being stuck up there all day in the rain.  Perhaps they'll become more desperate if they end up spending the night.  If the rain stops, I'll get out my binoculars and try and see if they are debating locations yet. 
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #6 on: April 11, 2024, 04:51:45 pm »
I set up one medium in the apiary, bated with dark comb and LGO, and another one on top of the buck barn, which is about 4-5 feet off the ground and a decent ways away from the bee yard.  Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll pick one of those options.  It was really raining for about an hour, but it seems to have stopped now, so I'll go see if they are discussing things yet.   
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #7 on: April 11, 2024, 05:07:42 pm »
No dancing that I could see.  The outer mantle of bees is in umbrella mode, everyone stationary with their wings open, and there are no more than five scouts flying around the cluster.  The rain has picked up again.  Poor girls, this whole endeavor was just poorly planned.  :sad:   
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #8 on: April 11, 2024, 06:10:55 pm »
The rain finally stopped, and if I'm reading the dances correctly, they found the box I put in the buck pen, but they aren't that into it, so we'll see.  :grin:
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Online Terri Yaki

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1542
  • Gender: Male
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #9 on: April 11, 2024, 06:50:13 pm »
Quote from: The15thMember on April 11, 2024, 06:10:55 pm
The rain finally stopped, and if I'm reading the dances correctly, they found the box I put in the buck pen, but they aren't that into it, so we'll see.  :grin:
What do you see in the dances that give an indication?
Logged

Offline Salvo

  • Queen Bee
  • ****
  • Posts: 1411
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #10 on: April 11, 2024, 07:23:03 pm »
Hi 15,

Fake OJ and VODKA!

https://youtu.be/lHnndSxicGo

Keep beating that drum!

Sal
Logged

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #11 on: April 11, 2024, 07:41:11 pm »
Quote from: Terri Yaki on April 11, 2024, 06:50:13 pm
What do you see in the dances that give an indication?
So the angle of the dance with respect to the vertical denotes the angle of the site with respect to the sun, the duration of the dance run indicates the distance, and the severity of the waggle indicates how excited the bee is about the prospective location.  When I was watching them, I saw only one dancer, and she was indicating a location that seemed close to where I put this hive, but her waggle was pretty meh.  I walked down into the pasture a little ways to look at the trap to see if there were any scouts at it.  I didn't see any, and then I rescued one of our new baby goats who had accidentally escaped from his mom's pen.  All that took about 5 minutes or so, and when I got back up to the swarm, that original bee wasn't dancing any more, and the duration of the entire dance is also an indicator for swarm scouts.  Another bee had picked up the dance though, which was a good sign, but she also didn't seem overly excited about it based on her waggle.  It's pouring again, and now thundering, so I'm sure the debaters have taken a recess again.   

Quote from: Salvo on April 11, 2024, 07:23:03 pm
Hi 15,

Fake OJ and VODKA!

https://youtu.be/lHnndSxicGo

Keep beating that drum!

Sal
This actually would have been a perfect opportunity to test tanging, since they weren't keen to sit down anywhere.  I forgot about it in the moment unfortunately.  It was actually raining though, and that didn't stop them, so . . . .  :grin:
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12727
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #12 on: April 11, 2024, 08:08:50 pm »
Terri, Van From Arkansas (Mr Van) wrote a piece explaining the waggle dance. I miss him posting here very much! He had great insight and was a great mentor to both Reagan and I, as well as many others!
I am placing the link below where he explained the dance for your benefit as well as others who might be interested.


https://beemaster.com/forum/index.php?topic=51143.msg451249#msg451249
Logged
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Online BeeMaster2

  • Administrator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 13567
  • Gender: Male
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #13 on: April 11, 2024, 10:39:44 pm »
Reagan,
I recommend that you put a frame of brood in the swarm trap closest to the hive. Just make sure it doesn?t have a queen on it. That is your best chance of catching them.
Jim Altmiller
Logged
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 The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #14 on: April 11, 2024, 10:56:14 pm »
Quote from: BeeMaster2 on April 11, 2024, 10:39:44 pm
Reagan,
I recommend that you put a frame of brood in the swarm trap closest to the hive. Just make sure it doesn?t have a queen on it. That is your best chance of catching them.
Jim Altmiller
Thanks, I can try that tomorrow.  It was too rainy to open a hive today. 
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline cao

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1699
  • Gender: Male
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2024, 11:03:07 pm »
I've got an extendable painter's pole with a bucket attached to reach the high ones.  I have also tied a frame of old comb on the end and stuck it in the swarm to get them.
Logged

Offline The15thMember

  • Global Moderator
  • Galactic Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 4527
  • Gender: Female
  • Traveler of the Multiverse, Seeker of Knowledge
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #16 on: April 11, 2024, 11:09:17 pm »
Quote from: cao on April 11, 2024, 11:03:07 pm
I've got an extendable painter's pole with a bucket attached to reach the high ones.
That sounds like a great tool for something like this.  If it keeps happening, that might be a good investment.

Quote from: cao on April 11, 2024, 11:03:07 pm
I have also tied a frame of old comb on the end and stuck it in the swarm to get them.
They are taking quite a beating out there right now, it's raining hard and it's pretty windy, so I imagine they will be pretty worn out by morning.  I have this sense, which may or may not be accurate, that they may be more keen to latch onto something like that when they are more desperate, so I will probably try this first tomorrow. 
Logged
I come from under the hill, and under the hills and over the hills my paths led.  And through the air, I am she that walks unseen.

Offline Ben Framed

  • Global Moderator
  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 12727
  • Mississippi Zone 7
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #17 on: April 12, 2024, 12:40:27 am »
No one has mentioned a bee vac yet on this topic.

I like my bee vac, but this type of swarm is where I 'love' my bee vac...

Phillip
Logged
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19939
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #18 on: April 12, 2024, 06:56:38 am »
Set up a prime swarm trap at the base of the tree.  An old box if you have one.  Old brood comb, if you have it.  Some lemongrass oil.  Four drops inside.  8 or so around the entrance.  Some QMP if you have it (Queen juice or Psuedoqueen) if you can get it.  This works more than half the time especially if they haven't already started homing in on a location.
Logged
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Online Terri Yaki

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1542
  • Gender: Male
Re: Swarm Out of Reach
« Reply #19 on: April 12, 2024, 07:39:26 am »
4 and 8? I need to up my game.
Logged
Pages: [1] 2  All   Go Up
« previous next »