Author Topic: Swarm Catching (Read 12961 times)

Ben Framed · « **Reply #200 on:** May 21, 2024, 08:52:30 pm »

Quote from: BeeMaster2 on May 21, 2024, 09:35:18 am

Ben,
The ant bait is Terro. This one.
https://a.co/d/gZ6hKgm
Yes, I have lost several hives to Carpenter Ants. Until I found out about Terro, I would bee killing every ant in the hive and their eggs trying to get rid of them. When they get strong in numbers they will kill a hive. They are really a problem when I have my bees on the trailer in Jacksonville and I?m not there to check on them. I usually set baits at the wheels or jack stands where they can get on the trailer.

I also have had small ants, some micro ants live in my hives but they are not a problem.
Jim Altmiller

Thanks Jim, I am glad I heeded your advice then. I would hate to lose a hive to ants, SHB, or any other pest when it can be avoided...

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #201 on:** May 23, 2024, 08:47:53 am »

OK, I moved my swarm hive into location near my nuc hive last night and I am getting a mix of orientation flights and bees going to the old spot. I put a single medium box with empty foundation at the old location. How many bees can I expect to go back to the old spot and what do I do with them? The new location has a veil around it of lemongrass stalks from our lemongrass plants. It's there but has plenty of space for them to get through it.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #202 on:** May 23, 2024, 02:00:10 pm »

Quote from: Terri Yaki on May 23, 2024, 08:47:53 am

OK, I moved my swarm hive into location near my nuc hive last night and I am getting a mix of orientation flights and bees going to the old spot. I put a single medium box with empty foundation at the old location. How many bees can I expect to go back to the old spot and what do I do with them? The new location has a veil around it of lemongrass stalks from our lemongrass plants. It's there but has plenty of space for them to get through it.

Though some say you can put a limb or stick in from of a newly moved hive for reorientation the next morning, it never worked for me. There is always the two foot for two mile rule to consider..
Didn't you move some bees a few days ago?

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #203 on:** May 23, 2024, 04:37:58 pm »

Quote from: Ben Framed on May 23, 2024, 02:00:10 pm

Though some say you can put a limb or stick in from of a newly moved hive for reorientation the next morning, it never worked for me. There is always the two foot for two mile rule to consider..
Didn't you move some bees a few days ago?

I did the night they came in but when I got up in the morning, they were inundated with ants and I got scared so I moved them back before sunrise. I didn't want to wait too long to move them so I moved them last night after they settled down. Even then, some of them were out front and had to be sacrificed. I don't just have a limb or a stick, I have a whole wall built with lemongrass stalks with room enough for them to go through. There are pictures of what it looks like posted above. They are out there doing orientation flights all day. I'd say about 50 of them are/were hanging around the empty hive I put in the place of the hive I moved. I don't know if those are just foragers who didn't make back yesterday or what but in the grand scheme of things, there aren't that many over there. Between moving them back and forth, I treated the ground for ants and it looks like I did the job there.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #204 on:** May 23, 2024, 04:49:15 pm »

Without having already moved them two miles, you have done the best you can, which sounds like a good job!! I am happy that you are off to such a good start with your bees!

Sincerely,

Phillip

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #205 on:** May 23, 2024, 05:28:56 pm »

Thanks, Phillip, it is a fun hobby so far. And I feel as though I've been luck thus far too, which is unusual for me. I'm usually haunted by Murphy. But it's not too late, he can still rear his ugly head.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #206 on:** May 23, 2024, 06:07:13 pm »

Well, I am happy you made beemaster one of your helpers! I mean that sincerely as well!

Phillip

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #207 on:** May 23, 2024, 10:40:49 pm »

I'm going to guess that the bees that went to the trap location went back to their original home because they're nowhere to be found out there now. The hive in its new location looks to be doing fine though, they're in there guarding the doors after dark.

gww · « **Reply #208 on:** May 23, 2024, 10:42:04 pm »

Thumbs up

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #209 on:** May 24, 2024, 06:49:03 am »

Quote from: gww on May 23, 2024, 10:42:04 pm

Thumbs up

Thanks.

And for my next question. I'd like to reset that trap for my forlorn neighbor. Would it be a mistake to pull the medium box off of the bottom? It's set up with empty frames and popsicle sticks glued into them. Should I put anything in its place? I figure that the deep that they're living in should be enough for them for a month or so. Would disturbing them already be a problem for them?

Ben Framed · « **Reply #210 on:** May 24, 2024, 07:46:41 am »

> I'm going to guess that the bees that went to the trap location went back to their original home

Probably so or begged into a closer hive, depending on where they swarmed from? Just a guess for me too! I don?t know lol 😁

gww · « **Reply #211 on:** May 24, 2024, 10:27:38 am »

terri
I already said that I thought that was a good ideal.

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #212 on:** May 24, 2024, 11:17:58 am »

Quote from: gww on May 24, 2024, 10:27:38 am

terri
I already said that I thought that was a good ideal.

Ok, I forget more than I remember.

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #213 on:** May 24, 2024, 11:20:25 am »

And aside from some that may have gotten lost, today they're bringing in the tulip poplar pollen.

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #214 on:** May 26, 2024, 09:23:23 am »

My swarm colony seems to be a lazy lot. They're early to bed and late to rise.

The15thMember · « **Reply #215 on:** May 26, 2024, 01:26:00 pm »

Could be a lot of reasons for that, and your first inspection will tell you a lot.

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #216 on:** May 26, 2024, 06:53:47 pm »

And here is my swarm trap 1 week inspection. It looks kind of strange in there to me. Wonky comb, I guess what comb is there is full of what they brought with them. I have a hard time seeing eggs through the veil but I think there are some but not as many as I had expected. Maybe I'm expecting too much. It looks like they need to get with it and build more comb. And the proprietor needs to get some of his junk out of the way.

https://rumble.com/v4xljf6-may-26-2024-swarm-trap-inspection-part-i.html

The15thMember · « **Reply #217 on:** May 26, 2024, 09:44:01 pm »

Was there a part II? What did the rest of the bottom box look like? I don't have experience dealing with wonky comb on foundation, but I'd probably cut that out and rubber band it into your foundationless frames. I'm not sure how to encourage them to accept the foundation though. Also, I'm not sure that a single popsicle stick is enough of a starter strip. Starter strips generally are the same length as the top bar, so that wherever they decide to start there is a strip, since they don't always start in the center of the frame.

Ben Framed · « **Reply #218 on:** May 26, 2024, 09:47:43 pm »

> but I'd probably cut that out and rubber band it into your foundationless frames.
Also, I'm not sure that a single popsicle stick is enough of a starter strip. Starter strips generally are the same length as the top bar, so that wherever they decide to start there is a strip, since they don't always start in the center of the frame.

Totally agreed with The15thMember.

Phillip

Terri Yaki · « **Reply #219 on:** May 26, 2024, 10:33:07 pm »

OK, thanks. There is a part II but there's nothing of value in it. It's just me pulling the bottom box out from under them. I took out the box of foundationless frames for the next trap setting. They're now all tucked into their single deep. I'm thinking about melting some wax and painting it onto the foundation.