Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: TALittle on July 17, 2016, 10:28:21 am
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I have a ranch way out off the beaten path. (12 acres in the middle of 5000 acres of woods) I built two top bar hives from scrap lumber and last weekend placed them on the property. Total cost of the hives was $11 each.
I put the backer boards at the calculated location to provide 35l of internal space. Rubbed the chamfer molding on the top bars with bees wax, then put 8 or so drops of lemon grass oil on a cotton ball inside a ziplock bag with about 1" open and tossed it in the back of the hive.
Hives are facing south-south-east, so now it is just a waiting game. Hoping a swarm will move in.
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Looks great! Good luck!
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Considering doing this myself. Did you have success?
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TA,
Seal up those baggies. With 8 drops and being open, they may move in and move back out. It is like you having to put up with your mother in law who uses a whole bottle of perfume every day. If you seal them, they will last longer. You will find that in about a week they are dry even though they are sealed. It seeps out slowly.
Jim
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Considering doing this myself. Did you have success?
No, I did not have any luck with them yet.
TA,
Seal up those baggies. With 8 drops and being open, they may move in and move back out. It is like you having to put up with your mother in law who uses a whole bottle of perfume every day. If you seal them, they will last longer. You will find that in about a week they are dry even though they are sealed. It seeps out slowly.
Jim
I found out later that 8 drops was a bit much. This year im trying with a couple of drops on the wood and a finger smear near the entrance and maybe a couple of drops on a cotton round in a ziplock bag
I've also built two more topbar hives and 4 swarm boxes to hang in the trees around the property. Hoping more locations and options will give me a little better chance of getting a swarm.
I also got a new 4x4 truck so I can get in and out no matter what the weather is. It just means that Ill be able to get out there with a little more regularity. :)
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I?m not a swarm catching expert but there is one neat trick I have found.
https://www.amazon.com/Plastic-Transfer-Pipettes-Graduated-Pack/dp/B011R1HPDU
Buy some of those. Fill bulb with some lemongrass oil. Use lighter to heat up tip and pinch it off. Try to squeeze out all the air you can and make sure it seals well. The scent seems to still leak out of the plastic, but not overwhelming. It also lasts forever. I?ve had some that are two years old and still in great shape.
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We have a research department in my office and they get those pipettes by the boatload. I've used them for other things (measuring e-oils, filling small containers with lip balm). I've just put 2 - 3 drops of LGO on a cotton ball, but I may try your idea. :wink:
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If you do that much work for 11 dollars or less, and supply the tools and electric, I want to hire you full time.
Otherwise, they look good. Wish you the best of luck with them.
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TA,
They look good.
For swarm traps, I recommend you get 4 or better yet 8 cinder blocks and raise than up a little bit. I have found that the bees really like the trap to be at least 4 feet off the ground. I have caught 3 very large swarms in a stack of 5 medium boxes with a top entrance.
Jim
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Those look great. And the price was right.
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How did this turn out?
This looks like a fun idea.