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Author Topic: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC  (Read 5736 times)

Offline chux

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #20 on: October 05, 2017, 09:46:37 am »
If you haven't, give some serious thought to building and setting out swarm traps next year. This year, I placed 14 traps and caught a 16 swarms in the traps. (After I catch a swarm, I replace the trap) You can get a local stock of over-wintered bees this way. One sheet of plywood makes a couple of traps. Just a thought. 

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #21 on: October 05, 2017, 02:54:56 pm »
If you haven't, give some serious thought to building and setting out swarm traps next year. This year, I placed 14 traps and caught a 16 swarms in the traps. (After I catch a swarm, I replace the trap) You can get a local stock of over-wintered bees this way. One sheet of plywood makes a couple of traps. Just a thought.
I hadn't really given it serious thought, but you're right, why not take a stab at it.  Got any tips for catching them?
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 BeeMaster2

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #22 on: October 06, 2017, 09:53:09 am »
A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
Place one frame of old drawn comb in the box and fill the box with empty frames that have a thin strip of wood in the top slot, popsicle sticks will do.
Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Set the hive about 6-8 feet of of the ground.
Good luck.
Jim
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 paus

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #23 on: October 06, 2017, 12:03:51 pm »
Saw dust is exactly right.  I caught 60% last year, and I have a beek friend  that caught 43 with 26 swarm traps   He removes them the minute he finds them.  I let them almost fill the box before I move and rehive or visa versa  The surest way to keep them is rehive and let them get settled before you move them if possible.  But don't wait until they fill the trap.  Give them some ventilation in warm areas.

Offline HillBilly2

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #24 on: October 06, 2017, 12:49:28 pm »
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.

Offline The15thMember

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #25 on: October 06, 2017, 08:17:16 pm »
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.
I have never seen a swarm of bees in my whole life. :shocked: :sad:  It might be something to try once I have the resources, but I certainly won't bank on catching any.

A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
I'm planning on using all mediums but I haven't purchased my woodenware yet.  Should I get a couple deeps in case my own bees swarm?

Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Okay, someone is going to have to explain this part of the process.  Why the lemon grass oil (something to do with pheromones, I presume?), and why do you seal it and then leave it in there?  To someone who doesn't know anything at all about swarm catching, this sounds totally random.  :grin:     
 
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 chux

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #26 on: October 06, 2017, 10:02:33 pm »
Check out Jason Bruns' website. Letmbee. He is in Indiana, and knows how to do it. He tells you everything you need to know to build and place swarm traps. Old comb helps, but isn't required. Put a little lemon grass oil in the right size box in a tree, and you can catch a swarm. There are lots of bees in NC.  I never saw a swarm in my life, until I started catching them. It is very simple. You can do it. They are in western NC. I know of at least one major commercial operation out that way, and there are tons of backyard beekeepers and sideliners. And bees in trees and old barns and such. The swarms are there.

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #27 on: October 07, 2017, 12:21:41 am »
Catching swarms is a great way to increase your bee yard, but it brings some challenges to a new beekeeper. Having an old drawn comb to entice bees into a swarm trap is very hard to come by if you don't already have bees. Then you have to live in an area where there are other bee keepers who lose swarms. If you can't remember seeing swarms in the past then you will probably not catch too many.
I have never seen a swarm of bees in my whole life. :shocked: :sad:  It might be something to try once I have the resources, but I certainly won't bank on catching any.

A deep box is about the right size for a large swarm. I have a bunch of deep nucs but the large swarms won't use them.
I'm planning on using all mediums but I haven't purchased my woodenware yet.  Should I get a couple deeps in case my own bees swarm?

Get a small jar of Lemon Grass Oil, put a drop of it on a q-tip, wipe it around the entrance, put the q-tip in a small baggy, seal it and drop it in the bottom of the box.
Okay, someone is going to have to explain this part of the process.  Why the lemon grass oil (something to do with pheromones, I presume?), and why do you seal it and then leave it in there?  To someone who doesn't know anything at all about swarm catching, this sounds totally random.  :grin:     
 
If you have all mediums, use 2 of them. My best swarm catcher is a stack of 5 mediums that, one day I decided to add a top entrance and added lemon grass oil and frames. I have caught 3 massive swarms in it already.
Lemon Grass Oil is almost the same exact chemical makeup of the pheromone that bees make for marking a possible hive location. When they find a suitable new home, they mark it and then tell other scouts the direction and distance. The scouts then fly to the designated area and then look for the the scent via smell.
The oil evaporates very quickly so we seal it in a baggie and the smell prelates slowly
Through the bag. If you put too much LGO in the trap it can drive the bees back out of the hive.
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 The15thMember

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Re: Where to Purchase Bees in Western NC
« Reply #28 on: October 07, 2017, 10:35:55 pm »
Check out Jason Bruns' website. Letmbee. He is in Indiana, and knows how to do it. He tells you everything you need to know to build and place swarm traps. Old comb helps, but isn't required. Put a little lemon grass oil in the right size box in a tree, and you can catch a swarm. There are lots of bees in NC.  I never saw a swarm in my life, until I started catching them. It is very simple. You can do it. They are in western NC. I know of at least one major commercial operation out that way, and there are tons of backyard beekeepers and sideliners. And bees in trees and old barns and such. The swarms are there.
Thanks for the encouragement, chux.  I'll give it a try.   :happy:

If you have all mediums, use 2 of them. My best swarm catcher is a stack of 5 mediums that, one day I decided to add a top entrance and added lemon grass oil and frames. I have caught 3 massive swarms in it already.
Lemon Grass Oil is almost the same exact chemical makeup of the pheromone that bees make for marking a possible hive location. When they find a suitable new home, they mark it and then tell other scouts the direction and distance. The scouts then fly to the designated area and then look for the the scent via smell.
The oil evaporates very quickly so we seal it in a baggie and the smell prelates slowly
Through the bag. If you put too much LGO in the trap it can drive the bees back out of the hive.
Jim
As Mr. Spock would say, fascinating.  :cool: 
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.