Swaarm trap question

[Chris L]

Ok i set out a trap 2 days agao. bees are flying all around it around the lid and in and out of the whole. I did not use any swarm lure, i just put some old frames in there and smeared some was around the entance.
My questoin is are the bees just going in after the old frames and wax or are they checking it out for a new home...any insight or what to expect would help
thanks
chris

[Michael Bush]

Right now they are just investigating. They think there might be honey. They think some day it might make a nice home. They are probably not currenlty looking for a home. Anytime there is old comb about they have to check it out. The good thing is that it's the field bees who later look for a home and they will remember where they've seen a good one.

I'd use the swarm lure pherome, but if you don't, I'd be really sure to get the size right (something between 5 and 10 deep frames of capicity) and the entrance size right (about 1 1/4 inch in diamter or an equivilant area of other shape) and the height right (at least 10 feet but more is better). The pherome is like the U/L stamp of approval. Some bee left it and said it was a good place. Without the pherome, the bees have to check out all of those factors for themselves, like size, opening, height etc.

Good luck. I've set seven bait hives so far and am going to set some more tonight.

[clintonbemrose]

wait and see if they start bringing in pollon and nector before opening up to look. They might just bee visiting or looking or they might decide to stay or they might just be yellowjackets looking to stay.
Clint

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Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan

[Chris L]

Michael,
thanks for the reply. I guess i should buy some lures then, Who do you buy yours from. Also do you have much luck with setting traps. THis is my frist one.
another question, the comb you put in the trap does it have to be drawn already? I dont have any to spare so should i just put empty frames in there or should i put frames with new comb in it

thanks
chris

[Michael Bush]

I've read a lot on the subject and I have a video called "Free bees for you" from Brushy Mt. which is where I got the lure. This is my first year, but one fellow in the video had lost all of his hives (50 of them) and decided to try catching some swarms and he had four traps and the pherome. The first year he caught 40 swarms.

There are many who have the Pherome.

Here's the web site for the company that makes it. http://www.pherotech.com/swarm_catch_with_nasonov.html
http://www.beeequipment.com/search.asp and put in product code 253 from Brushy Mt.

or http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page37.htm from Mann Lake

or from Dadant http://www.dadant.com/catalog/default.php?cPath=53

I bought the MDA Splitters from Dadant http://www.dadant.com/catalog/produc...roducts_id=621 They are wax coated cardboard.

I put five medium frames (because it's the depth I'll be using this year for brood) with unembossed starter strips that I made myself, but small cell 4.9mm starter strips would be my second choice. I tied bailing twine around the hive in two places to hold the lid on and then tied the loose ends of this around the trunk of the trees I'm putting them in. Sometimes I can get it in a nice crotch of a tree and somtimes I tie it hanging from a branch, but usually I just tie it around the trunk.

Good luck.

[BjornBee]

A couple of questions for Chris L.

Are you trying to catch your own swarms? If your own hives are going to swarm, you need to decide whether to prevent swarming, let them swarm and hope you catch them, or do a split on your own. You end up with an extra hive but you are sacrificing honey product if you let them swarm during a main flow.

Are you trying to catch another persons swarms at different apiary? Please know that most swarms fly between 300-900 meters to find a new home. Sometimes they go three feet to an extra box you left in the apiary.

Use old waste comb if on hand. You may melt wax and smear on the inside of the box to help attract bees. An old
unuseable hive body can be a good hive trap. I'll take an old hive over spending money on lures out of a mag anyday. Works just as well.

I also hope everyone knows what a yellowjacket is compared to honeybees.

Do not let spiders, wasps, yellowjackets, and the like to take up residency in a bait hive. This will deter honeybees.

You will know the difference between 10-20 scout bees "Checking it out" compared to a full swarm taking up a new home.

On experience you will also know when to MORE closely monitor your own hives. I can tell when perhaps I missed a couple of queen cells, or maybe missed an inspection or two, and one of my hives are ready to swarm. Besides more bees hanging outside the hive and not working (This could be from a hot day) many times I can see an increase in activity with scout bees at the bait hives. I can almost tell you to the day when a new swarm will be found.

[Michael Bush]

I'm trying to catch feral swarms. But I'll settle for what I get.

[Chris L]

Thankyou all for the replies,
I am not trying to catch my own bees. I am just trying to catch anything i can. I never have put out a trap and i want to see hwo it works.. we will see i guess. I will keep you all posted
Micheal , goodluck with your traps thanks for the links to dandant. we will see how it goes

good luck
chris

[Joel Acheson]

Dee Lusby once posted a recipe for a bee pheromone lure which she made using queens which were removed after their prime was past. It involved putting them in a blender with alcohol, or something else as a carrier, and mixing them up. Sounded like a good way to recycle them instead of just discard them. Of course this is of no benefit to people like Chris and I who don't have that many disposable queens yet, but I will try to contact her and see if she will post her recipe on this thread, as it may help some others.

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gnubee

[dcross]

http://listserv.albany.edu:8080/cgi-...-l&D=0&P=12734

[Chris L]

That sounds good, I will try to make some after i get some queens going. thanks for all of the advice
chris

[Rod350]

How do you keep moths from eating the old comb in a swarm trap and will moths bother foundation?
Rod

[Michael Bush]

If you put clean old empty drawn comb the moths probably won't bother it. They won't bother foundation either. I wouldn't use full sheets of foundation, because they need room to cluster inside. I just use starter strips. If you use old comb and it's got honey left on it or in it and pollen in it, the moth larvae will tear it up. You can try the Certan on it. http://www.beeworks.com/uspage5.asp look at the bottom of the page under "Wax Moth Control". Certan is a bacteria that kills the moth larvae when it ingests it and is safe for people and bees.


[This message has been edited by Michael Bush (edited March 27, 2003).]