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Offline 10framer

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rain
« on: April 07, 2014, 02:14:04 pm »
over 4 inches of rain since yesterday morning and it's not over yet.  there will be a lot of swarms in alabama and georgia tomorrow.
most of my bees were flying in it yesterday.  i'm heading to the farm shortly and unless it's a downpour i expect to see them moving again. 
last year i had one hive that would work when it was cool or during a light rain.  this year about half of them are doing it.

Offline Chanticleer48

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Re: rain
« Reply #1 on: April 07, 2014, 02:26:35 pm »
Is that typical?  There is not any action with my hives. 

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: rain
« Reply #2 on: April 07, 2014, 04:53:59 pm »
Just moved here to Huntsville.  Alabama has a "no comb" law, so I don't have any established hives now.  I've had my feeder out to see what kind of bees will be around for a month now.  They've been taking a dribble to a cup, I dumped two sour ones.  I've been watching them drain a whole jar in an afternoon in the past week, and have a few scouts hovering around my traps.  I'm not sure about what may swarm out here, but my feeling is they will take off in another couple weeks.
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: rain
« Reply #3 on: April 07, 2014, 08:02:55 pm »
Mine have swarmed last week . I did a cutout Sat. It was a 5year old hive in a side wall 48 in. Wide and 6 feet tall then down a 16 in. Wide raft section. It took 5.5 hours to do the job. Can't post photos from my camera the dog chewed the cable. The walnut creek is bridge high so I can't get to my hives in back. I hope they hang around for a couple of days.

John

Offline 10framer

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Re: rain
« Reply #4 on: April 07, 2014, 11:59:36 pm »
Just moved here to Huntsville.  Alabama has a "no comb" law, so I don't have any established hives now.  I've had my feeder out to see what kind of bees will be around for a month now.  They've been taking a dribble to a cup, I dumped two sour ones.  I've been watching them drain a whole jar in an afternoon in the past week, and have a few scouts hovering around my traps.  I'm not sure about what may swarm out here, but my feeling is they will take off in another couple weeks.

i've got a good friend in huntsville that keeps bees there and in south alabama.  i can get you two together if you want to get back in it.

Offline Carol

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Re: rain
« Reply #5 on: April 08, 2014, 12:30:12 pm »
What is a "no comb" law?

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: rain
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2014, 12:53:24 pm »
What is a "no comb" law?

Same question.
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline CapnChkn

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Re: rain
« Reply #7 on: April 08, 2014, 04:46:03 pm »
Quote
there will be a lot of swarms in alabama and georgia tomorrow.
10framer, you may have outguessed me by a mile!  I'm looking at the traps in the yard, and they're about a half dozen scouts in front of one.  Does your friend goes to the Beekeepers meeting here in town?  I've been building all winter, and have 5 traps out now.  I'm guessing I'll get 4 out of 5, maybe less because of our winter.

Quote
What is a "no comb" law?
It seems Alabama is the only state in the union who has this law.  Quintessentially it means I can't bring used equipment, bees with honey, or comb over the state lines.  When I sold my bees in TN, the State Apiarist told me he had one guy on the state line with hives in AL, and his house in TN.  Whenever he went to inspect or get honey he had to take in brand new frames...

http://alisondb.legislature.state.al.us/acas/CodeofAlabama/1975/2-14-4.htm
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.

Offline asprince

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Re: rain
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2014, 07:31:08 pm »
One of mine swarmed today. They are presently 30 feet up in a pine tree. I knew they were ready but I did not have the time to split them.


Steve
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Offline 10framer

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Re: rain
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2014, 11:24:08 pm »
steve, i thought maybe they'd hold off for a day since it stayed kind of cool.

capn, i don't know if he goes to meetings or not.  i thought the law read that you could transport the comb if it was inspected and certified by the other state's inspector.  makes you wonder how all those migratory beekeepers in florida get to california. 

Offline GSF

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Re: rain
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2014, 06:59:40 am »
10framer - By boat?  :-D
When the law no longer protects you from the corrupt, but protects the corrupt from you - then you know your nation is doomed.

Offline asprince

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Re: rain
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2014, 10:43:46 pm »
Another one of mine swarmed today but I was able to hive this one.


Steve
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Offline 10framer

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Re: rain
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2014, 11:15:56 pm »
that cabin fever gets them going every time.  glad you caught this one.

Offline asprince

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Re: rain
« Reply #13 on: April 10, 2014, 07:50:23 pm »
Checked on them today and they left the hive and pitched on a hear by bush. I put them back and gave them a frame of brood and some syrup. Hope they stay this time.


Steve
Politics is supposed to be the second oldest profession. I have come to realize that it bears a very close resembalance to the first. - Ronald Reagan

Offline divemaster1963

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Re: rain
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2014, 11:29:36 pm »
Checked on them today and they left the hive and pitched on a hear by bush. I put them back and gave them a frame of brood and some syrup. Hope they stay this time.


Steve

I use a peace of a queen excluder to lock her in for 2-3 days . that locks her in good . I lost a swarm today . got the call about noon and they were gone by the time I not off work.  But I got a call for a cut out I set up for this weekend. A guy gave them my number because there are only 2 people in the area that do cutouts that I know of.

It pays a few bills.

John

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: rain
« Reply #15 on: April 11, 2014, 11:09:44 pm »
Well, I never catch the first one.  After a few days I see the occasional curious worker.  Depending on the winter, observations seem to have them come into the traps early on warm winters, and later on regular winters.  I have yet to observe what may happen on a year with the bitter cold we experienced this last winter, and the traps are not normally what I would use.

Last year I caught about half my swarms in April, near my hives.  Of course I was open feeding.  I'm open feeding here at the shack, and they all seem to come in from one direction.  So maybe one wild/feral colony.  Other early successes involved comb with honey in the corners.

Those later traps, with just comb and lure, yielded in late May/early June.  Other traps seemed to yield in the middle of summer, I wonder what may have happened in those.  As of yet, I don't see any interest in the traps I placed out in the "boonies."  Yet.

These traps have rendered brood comb "strings" to entice the scouts, and cotton balls with low density polyethylene bags I've kludged to hold them, from regular "A" shirt type grocery bags.  The piece of LDPE is folded over a frame, held between two pieces of paper, and ironed to "fuse"them into a small bag, about the same size as a business card.  No holes are punched in the plastic, it's just folded/rolled so the cotton is at the bottom, and wedged in with the entrance reducer crushing the folds to the bottom board.

The LGO percolates through the pores in the plastic.  Just because you can't smell the "Lemon Pledge," doesn't mean the bees can't.  My bias is the oils polymerize in the heat and age, making the lure gummy and unattractive in my estimation.  I ain't a bee either.  Yet.
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.