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GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. / Re: Swarm Catching
« Last post by Terri Yaki on May 19, 2024, 07:28:59 pm »Thanks, I'm pretty happy about it.
Now, when should I move them to their permanent spot and should I feed them?I'm not sure about when to move them, but swarms come with full bellies, and if they are drawing already, they should be good to go where food is concerned. Congratulations!
Hoo boy, that looks real!I know! It was extra busy this morning when I gassed up my mower back there and when I got done mowing, about an hour and a half later, it was even busier and I was watching, hoping to see them swarm. Then I looked at the memory card on my camera and saw four, five minute videos of all bees inbound. So, while I was mowing, they were moving. I looked in the side ports and saw bees in there working. I can only see the outer frame on the top box but bees were there working on the outer frame. And the bottom box has empty frames with popsicle sticks glued in the top and coated with wax. They were working on those too.
The theory is that any bees that would look for robbing opportunities would rather drink from a community trough than fight a bunch of guard bees to get in a hive.I agree with this theory, but only while the feeder is in place. It's when you remove the feeder that you can have robbing problems, because the bees who were visiting the feeder will look for a source of food close by when they can't find the feeder anymore.
All creatures behave better if they have what they need.
Not to be disagree with Beesnweeds post but I like a trap around my hives for a couple of reasons. I have one in my back yard and I do not see bees looking for resource very often but when I do see a bee around it, the first thing I do is walk down to my hives and look in the trees. I have hived at least three of my own before they even picked a home using this.
Been there, done that. At least 5 of mine were caught that way this year. The only difference is I have a stack of empty boxes that are getting ready to be put on hives instead of a swarm trap.
Trapping swarms is like fishing, the more hooks in the water the more chances to catch one. But there are days that the fish aren't biting no matter what you do.
Agreed. I think your opinion is raising some interesting questions, beesnweeds. We are all just trying to figure out what's going on here, and everyone's expertise is valuable. I don't have any experience with swarm traps really, so I'm learning a lot through the whole conversation.The bees are not investigating the trap, they are drifting to it. I dont know if it would deter a swarm, maybe? But in its current location its confusing a new beekeeper and a new hive. I know it's an unpopular observation on this thread but by the video and Terris posts Im fairly certain it's just his bees drifting.I don?t feel like your thoughts are unpopular just unique among us and I do consider the possibility.
I think it depends on your definition of "practice". I think of queens cups more as preparation. The bees sometimes build them in case they needed them, and sometimes they end up using them and sometimes they don't. Orientation fights could also be considered "flying practice", but the purpose is really so the bees can memorize the area around the hive, not to practice flying in the sense that a baby bird does.QuoteIm not sure what's going on in your hive but that would be a separate issue from workers drifting to the trap. Honestly, bees dont practice anything. They dont live long enough.This is contrary to what I've heard more than once but I am open to learning just what is going on.