Cooler Bait box

[odfrank]

I found these two Styrofoam coolers today on the street set out for garbage. The depth is good for a frame, but the box is too long. I would need to cut away some of the lid for it too close and add frame rests. The lid will also not have good bee space above it. What to do with the extra length? Make it a TBH maybe?
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/odfrank/cooler001.jpg

[WVbeekeeper]

if you had the right tools, you could make it any size you want.
http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/home.php
maybe a local taxidermist could cut it down for you.

[kensfarm]

If you don't have the time or the tools.. just put 2 sticks across to hang the frames.. and let them have the extra room.. maybe you'll catch a bigger swarm. :)

[Grant]

You could hang two sticks or make a "follower board" for the back end which would also support the frames.

I love your sense of being resourceful.

Grant
Jackson, MO www.25hives.homestead.com

[DennisB]

They would make fine TBH. To make it even neater, cut out a hole in the side and glue in a piece of plexiglass for a viewing window. Just make sure that you have some cloth or a board to cover the plexiglass up with when not looking in. Heck, a piece of cloth with a line of glue along the top would work, and a couple of straight pins to hold it at the bottom. I guess if you wanted to keep it from blowing over in a heavy wind, you could take a flat scrap board the size of the bottom and run a few screws through it into a base of some sort. Have fun

[wayacoyote]

By setting in a false back or "follower board" as Grant mentions, you could design in a feeding station to be used once a swarm is caught.

Waya

[BeeCurious]

if you had the right tools, you could make it any size you want.
http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/home.php
maybe a local taxidermist could cut it down for you.

Thanks for link to the styrofoam craft site.

Is it possible to purchase just the frames for mating/mini nucs?

[odfrank]

See picture
I made the three budget bait boxes today (2 deeps, 1 medium) from what I
think are whole fish shipping containers. I found them outside sushi joints and one is marked salmon from Canada. They are close to proper beespace depth but way to long. I placed the frames in the middle of the length, which allowed for good Fung Shui. There is now an entrance hallway before entering the main residence. On one I added a screened vent hole. Total investment, eight drive screws each, two square inches of 1/8" screen, some glue and some scrap plywood. Should I paint them? Will they be subject to quick ultraviolet deterioration?

I am going to use frames headed for the melter and use these boxes in locations I might not get them back.

Opinion: the Styrofoam is too flimsy, not high density.


http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/odfrank/IMG_0881.jpg

[sierrabees]

I have several bait boxes out made from old styrofoam honey baked ham shipping boxes and others from styrofoam coolers. The only things that have taken up residence in any of them are three black widows, a couple of dozen mud wasp nests, one yellow jacket nest, and two squirrels. I think there are differant kinds of styrofoam and the kind used for coolers doesn't appear to appeal to honey bees while it is easily chewed to give a wider opening for larger critters. I get my best results with wooden swarm boxes.

[odfrank]

I get my best results with wooden swarm boxes.

Well, then I better finish my European wine crate bait boxes, they also are almost a perfect fit for medium frames. :rolleyes:

[GaSteve]

The hotwire foam cutters are neat. I wonder if they would work as a shallow uncapper.

http://hotwirefoamfactory.com/product.php?productid=16135&cat=0&bestseller=Y

[Sundance]

Man I sure don't see any reason they wouldn't........ In fact
where the electrodes attach to the handle looks like they are
attached with screws and perhaps a longer wire installed??

[odfrank]

This one will take some clever carpentry.
It fits a deep frame pretty close, but is heavily stapled together and frames will be most easily reached from the open end without major renovations.
http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t7/odfrank/IMG_0890.jpg