Author Topic: 2014 swarms (Read 35011 times)

RHBee · « **Reply #140 on:** April 27, 2014, 06:25:34 am »

Another, approx 2lbs.. 1:00pm yesterday.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #141 on:** April 27, 2014, 06:34:07 am »

Quote from: sawdstmakr on April 26, 2014, 08:20:06 am

I checked a swarm trap at my farm that I set last week. I saw a lot of scouts checking it out the day after I set it. Last night the door way was full of bees just before sunset. I will be taking it back to town tomorrow.
I will also place another one in the same location.
Jim

I checked on this trap yesterday, there were one or two bees at the door every time i looked at it but very little traffic. Not sure if they have moved in. I will let it bee for another week.
Jim

nordak · « **Reply #142 on:** April 27, 2014, 08:06:28 pm »

I'm in west central Arkansas, caught my first swarm ever out of a TBH trap on 4/21. Large colony of healthy Italians by the look of them. New beek so I was thrilled. The bees in my avatar are from the capture...inspected and transferred Friday. So far so good if today's storms don't blow them away!

hummelkurt · « **Reply #143 on:** April 30, 2014, 08:35:56 pm »

northeast louisiana is the new swarm hot bed. hehehehehehehehe well be . i did find some thieves occupying a five frame nuc box with my secret sauce scenting it up close to the hummel apiary which is cleverly disguised as a backyard in the quaint town of west monroe, home of the fightin rebels.

chux · « **Reply #144 on:** May 01, 2014, 03:32:37 pm »

I went into the winter with the intention of building at least a dozen nuc boxes to set out for swarm traps. I knew where four feral colonies were located. It took forever to get the equipment I needed to build the nucs. I finally got some built, and installed 2 swarm traps a couple of weeks ago. As of today, both of those traps have a swarm in them. That's a pretty good success rate. I got some more ready to put out in their place when I move them this weekend.

I also caught a swarm this morning, 2-3 pounds, and put them in a double deep nuc. 3 last week; 1 today; 2 swarm traps filled. What a great start to the season.

With the larger swarms, I'm using a 2-deep, 5-frame nuc setup. I attach half inch ply as a bottom board and drill 2 one inch holes in the end for an entrance. I make migratory ply covers for them. i am planning on moving them to a 10-frame deep and adding an empty medium super after they get 3 of the bottom frames filled. Does this sound like a good idea to you folks???

Carol · « **Reply #145 on:** May 01, 2014, 06:57:34 pm »

Caught a swarm today. They were deciding on the TBH and the swarm catcher...watched them off and on for a few hours then went to work..and sure enough they decided on the swarm catcher. We put them in the TBH...got the lid on and five minutes later it poured. Don't know where the swarm came from since we didn't see it on the fly...could have been one of my hives. Both have 2 deeps for brood and 3 med supers all partially drawn out.

Dallasbeek · « **Reply #146 on:** May 05, 2014, 11:03:58 pm »

So what's wrong in the Dallas area? I see reports from Florida up to Michigan and even New Hampshire. I'm on several swarm lists and haven't seen anything here. My buddy needs to fill his deadout, so we have everything ready, but no calls. Are our bees slow to go, or are our beekeepers managing to avoid swarms? All I can do is read these reports and wish, I guess.

Gary

biggraham610 · « **Reply #147 on:** May 05, 2014, 11:26:14 pm »

Quote from: D Semple on April 24, 2014, 02:13:49 pm

In my experience monster swarms are generally from two or more colonies and are the hardest to get to stay because they contain multiple laying queens and when you throw them both in the same hive one or both will abscond.

I always watch to see if great big swarms want to separate themselves into two or more groups and hive the separate groups 8' - 10' apart from each other. No harm really done if it turns out they are in fact only one swarm as the queenless group will re-join the other hive if that is the case.

Good luck to all.

Don

Being my first swarm, I didnt know but have since heard the same, that it may have been 2, it was in a cherry tree right above his 2 boxes. On the bright side of things, they stayed put and are drawing foundationless comb and filling it fast!! Glad to have em. G

GSF · « **Reply #148 on:** May 08, 2014, 10:51:23 pm »

Got another helpful hint about a swarm of bees in an oak tree. My wife said she went by there, no one was home, and she didn't see no swarm. So after work I swung by there. I saw the owners and ask them about the swarm. They pointed up in the tree and said, "See them? They coming out of that hole up there (30 ft). Been there a couple of years...

That's the second time this year that's happened. One day a swarm is going to slip up and BAM! I'll catch them :-D

capt44 · « **Reply #149 on:** May 09, 2014, 09:58:21 am »

Swarms here in Central Arkansas were slow starting this year.
None in March and caught the first swarm April 4th.
I caught another swarm yesterday May 8th which makes 28 swarms so far this season.
It seems the swarms will let up and then a storm system will move thru and they start swarming again.
I've started putting homemade flower pot type swarm traps at the places I catch swarms and they are doing great using lemon grass oil and old comb.
I have 10 set out around town and 8 have bees in them.
I have caught nothing in traps using a queen pheromone scent.
I'm in the process now of building hives, I ran out after the tornado wiped out one of my beeyards.

chux · « **Reply #150 on:** May 09, 2014, 11:13:22 am »

capt44, how long are you leaving the swarm in the pots? I've made a handful of 5 frame nucs and deployed them as swarm traps, and haven't had to do anything after they catch a swarm but bring the box down and put it where I want it. How often do you check these pots? how long do you leave the bees in there? how difficult is it to cut them out of the pot and get them to stay in a hive??? This may be a cheaper and easier way for me to do swarm traps.

10framer · « **Reply #151 on:** May 12, 2014, 07:35:53 pm »

big one came out of a hive that was a 4 frame split on march 15th. it was a ten frame deep and i added a medium of foundation last week that it has drawn about half way and filled. 30 plus feet up, used the front end loader to shake the tree and finally just pushed it down. they moved to another tree. spent several hours shaking them then shaking them again. they just wouldn't go into the hive for some reason. i've been doing this for years and never had one that i got a lot of the bees into the hive that didn't stay.

jhs494 · « **Reply #152 on:** May 12, 2014, 10:16:05 pm »

First swarm of 2014
East Liverpool, Ohio

4-5lb swarm 25' to 30' up in a pine tree.
Used a swarm catch bucket on an extension pole.

GSF · « **Reply #153 on:** May 15, 2014, 10:21:36 pm »

Other than at Bud's I caught my fist swarm ever today. See my post on "What Happened?" 10framer suggested that I ought to go outside and look around in some trees to see if they had swarmed. I mentioned it to my wife before we walked out front. I had done forgot about it when I heard her say "I see it! I see it!" About 2/3rds the size of a foot ball, 25 ft up a hickory tree. I had a 27' extension ladder fully extended.

They were a little pissy. I got stung twice coming down the ladder with them. Thanks for the tip Rob!

ScituateMA · « **Reply #154 on:** May 16, 2014, 08:20:46 pm »

I collected my swarm today.
Massachusetts

Diogenes · « **Reply #155 on:** May 20, 2014, 01:51:49 am »

Caught a 6-7lb swarm in Canton. Ohio. 15ft up in pine tree. Cut branch, shook 'em in front of hive. Marched right in.

From an old bee tree. Filled an entire deep. (moved 'em to my main location)

Have two swarm traps set for the after-swarms. Nice survivor stock.

Diogenes · « **Reply #156 on:** May 30, 2014, 01:03:30 am »

Another nice one. 4-5lbs in a pear tree. Kirtland, Ohio. Season is 2 weeks late after our late spring.

chux · « **Reply #157 on:** June 01, 2014, 06:20:12 am »

Last week I caught the 3rd swarm out of the same tree in a swarm trap I set up. I went in to inspect yesterday, after letting them sit in my yard for a several days. There is a beautifully marked queen in there. How convenient. I guess they are born that way now???? This really surprised me. None of my queens are marked, and that neon green dot was the last thing I expected to see. The marking looks brand new, so I am assuming that somebody installed a package that absconded in that area. I will ask around at the club meeting next week. If I can find the original owners, I will return them.

BeeMaster2 · « **Reply #158 on:** June 01, 2014, 08:00:38 am »

I have 2 new swarms in traps at my farm. Both of them are looking good. I will hive them next week. One has a lot of bees bearding.
Jim

GSF · « **Reply #159 on:** June 01, 2014, 08:23:26 am »

Chux, you may want to approach that at a different angle. I'd keep my mouth shut and ears open. Then if nothing I'd drop a subtle hint by saying something like; "After what I read on the internet, I'm afraid if I buy another package they may take off." Or ask the question has anyone every heard of a package taking off?