Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: KeyLargoBees on April 18, 2016, 11:08:09 am
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I guess I never considered this before now and was just using what I had available for traps....have caught large swarms in small traps and had tiny swarms move into larger traps....but this weekend convinced me "bigger is better" ...had a BIG swarm land way up and out of reach in a wooded area (lots of poisonwood trees packed tight) two lots down from my home apiary. I saw them move in and cluster up and could see the swarm with binoculars. I got excited when I started seeing a TON of scout activity on two of my NUC sized swarm traps. Was probably over 100 scouts checking out two of my traps .... they were active for 48 hours and then the swarm took off for greener pastures and probably a larger space....they ignored both traps even though there was a ton of activity....I guess I should have relocated one of my larger traps or set up a full 10 frame when I saw the size of the swarm....but now I know ;-P
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Oh bummer! So close! I agree with you. From everything I've read, you catch little swarms in small traps and big swarms in big traps. HB Democracy says 40 liter volume is optimal.
PS. You watched them for 48 hours? Didn't you put 2+2 together and think, wait, that swarm is huge, they are not going to fit into my little nucs? lol Oh well, don't take that the wrong way. You live and you learn.
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Yah my bigger traps a 45L volume I believe...I moved one back to the main yard but was probably 12 hours too late. With that said....of the swarms I have caught in traps this year ....the bigger swarms have been in the smaller boxes...which is odd and probably a coincidence.
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lol you just never know. You have done really well so far already Jeff! I hope I have as much good fortune as you! Even just having them there and watching them has got to be super exciting.
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My son who uses a deep sea rig to catch huge catfish often says a lot of people hook big fish. They just don't know it. The line just snaps and that's the end of it. OD Frank says you can catch a small swarm in a big trap but you seldom catch a large swarm in a small trap...