Swarm traps, again

[leamon]

I've followed the threads quite a bit but haven't seen much about supporting the traps. So I have a few questions. What has been your experience with rope suspension? Making a platform? How far from level is ok. I'll check them every day or two as they're on the farm. I have 1/2 mile or more of woods along a creek and ravine. It appears I would mostly need to suspend or build a platform in a fork. Thanks in advance for the advice.
leamon

[Brent Bean]

Leamon:

However you can securely support a swarm trap and access it safely will work, some of mine are L shape brackets made out of 2X4’s screwed to a tree using deck screws. Some are stuck in a fork of a tree. I have use rope to hang traps but you still need to use a ladder to secure the trap from swinging around in the wind so I don’t use this method anymore. Keep and close eye on them during your peak swarm season it’s easer to hive a swarm when they are first setting up than one that has drawn out a lot of comb. My peak swarm season is from early May to about the middle of July.

[ January 24, 2007, 03:16 PM: Message edited by: Brent Bean ]

[kbee]

I try to use deer hunting stands, forks or limbs in trees with the box bungeed in. I think the box needs to be as stable and level as possible. I'm not sure if the bees will use it if it swings back and forth in the wind.

[Garry Forsythe]

I use old hive bodies with a couple of frames inside with the lure. I nail a board on the trunk of a tree about 10 feet off the ground and secure the box to this. I've read research papers that say bees prefer to nest about 10 feet up.
This has always worked well for me.

[Michael Bush]

Typically I tie them in the fork of a tree with plastic baling twine.

[bluegrass]

I use 18 ga wire.

[Curry]

Tie a brick onto the end of a long rope. Throw the brick over a branch at least 10 feet high, near the trunk. Tie a deep with old comb in it onto the other end of the rope. I like to spray lemongrass oil onto the entrance, just to attract scouts. Then, haul the hive up til it gets wedged below the branch, and tie the rope off onto another tree.

No climbing ladders, no building anything. (Do this at least 200 yards from your hives, bees like to move far away). When you see bees coming in and out, you know you've got a swarm so you can easily lower the hive and move it at least 5 miles away onto the ground.

[leamon]

Curry, I like your method but why 5 miles away? I'll only keep them here on the farm.

leamon

[BjornBee]

I can see it now, a news story of some beekeepers throwing bricks into trees, and knocking themselves out... :D

I like the v in a good tree. I use bungies also.

[leamon]

I can get styrefoam boxes that have been used to ship fish. They are just slightly small so I would probably have to use it as a top bar trap and the smell may be difficult to remove. Is it worth while?

leamon

[Budster]

"Tie a brick onto the end of a long rope. Throw the brick over a branch at least 10 feet high, near the trunk."

I tried this last year, but wanted it to be 25 feet high. I used a piece of firewood instead of the brick... People always ask, "how did that piece of firewood get clear up in that tree"... It is still hanging down from the branches by the twine I used to get it up there. I threw it up, and it snagged in the tree, and now I have this beautifull piece of firewood hanging from twine about 30 feet up in my tree in the backyard. As a side note, I try to do this stuff when the neighbors arent around... Dont want them to know I'm totally nuts... They would figure "Why the heck is he trying to get that rope up that tree"? Now, when they have friends over, I'm sure they get asked why I have a piece of firewood hanging from my tree. "Because the guy that lives next door is nuts, thats why".

[ February 01, 2007, 07:10 PM: Message edited by: budster ]

[bluegrass]

Budster... you are my hero... I want my neighbors to feel the same way about me.

About the styrofoam question. It might be best to use something that is biodegradable if you are setting these anywhere besides your own property. Otherwise, use what you can get. I like my cardboard sono tubes as they are easy to conceal, light weight and that is what I can get for free or real cheap.

[jim b]

I have had pretty good luck with any old box, cardboard, plywood, empty hives or whatever, long as they are big enough, but not too big.

i have had pretty good luck with them sitting just about anywhere, on the ground, up a ladder, on the roof.

I believe the trick is the lemongrass oil that i put in the box. They seem to really like it. The first bottle i bought was at the Renaisance(sp) Faire and as soon as i opened it to smell it, there was a bee right there, smelling it with me.
-j

[Jesus_the_only_way]

Anybody got any pics of their traps they could show off? I'd like to get a visual. Besides I just like to see bee related pics.

[leamon]

Jim B, do you put frames in the boxes?

[kenpkr]

I've also heard it mentioned that one can use 5 gal buckets for traps. I can get a lot of these so I'd like to know the details from someone who's used them. Can frames of old comb be secured inside somehow before hanging?

[deantn]

Anybody got any pics of their traps they could show off? I'd like to get a visual. Besides I just like to see bee related pics.
Same here would like to see a few pics to understand the process of making them.

[kenpkr]

I found this info from Naturebee and pics he has posted. I hope to modify a couple of my 5 gal buckets to something like what's shown.

"Joe's Swarm bucket
I would use a 5 gallon bucket because it would be large enough to catch most swarms.
Also, I haven’t had any problems with overheating swarms in these buckets, but the extra space would certainly help with ventilation and encourage the entire swarm to enter the bucket more readily, and provide a wider mouth for shaking the swarm into. A light color bucket will help keep them cool also. If a swam is caught in the direct sunlight, I place a small white towel over the lid for shade.

I prefer using the buckets because it is safer on ladders and my back. And these things are cheep to make, so I have no problem with letting the buckets anywhere and coming back later for swarms. I can also pick swarms up in the wife’s car without trying to fit a bulky hive body into the trunk.

The bucket consists of a 1 ½ PVC drain fitting and a queen excluder and screen fitted into the slip joint nuts. Simply cut a hole in the bucket using a 1 ¾ hole saw and screw the fitting on to the bucket from the inside. You may have to trim the hole out a bit with a razor so that it will thread on properly."
Pics- Swarm bucket pics (http://new.photos.yahoo.com/naturebee/album/576460762350195145)

And more info-
"Swarm Bucket with lid:
http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/naturebee/detail?.dir=1b05&.dnm=1c3cre2.jpg&.src=ph
Here I want the bees to be comfortable so you may see
* A number of 1/8 inch holes in the bucket for ventilation
* Two wood strips with bead of wax for comb building
(this can be replaced with a piece of carpet so the bees feel comfortable having something to cluster on)
* All but two tabs are cut off the lid and gasket removed, this aids in ventilation and ease of lid removal
* The inside of the bucket must be scuffed so the bees can walk on the sidewalls up to the clustering point on the lid"

[kbee]

kenpkr, It looks like "joes swarm bucket" is used to collect a swarm that has been found. A swarm trap should have old brood comb in it. I make very simple ones out of 1/2 plywood. I don't even have frame rests on most of them. Just put 4-5 brood frames in with some lure and scew on the top and set them out.

[Deano]

my florist found me some of those paper mashea pots 24"round x 24" deep .put some old cone in it with lemon grass oil woks good.check often.i tie it to trees with bungee cords,you can get them in all lenths