Swarm challenge

[Tomas]

I made the rounds this weekend checking my trap hives--I've caught five new swarms within the last week or so. I actually thought the swarms were done for the season. For just about four weeks I didn't have anything new. We started to get a bit of rain and the weather turned a bit cooler than normal which I think threw everything off. It should still be bone dry at this time of the year but now the whole valley has turned green.

This is unusual. The real rains and the real beginning of the rainy season shouldn't be until the end of May. But things are sort of back to normal now and some colonies have begun to swarm again.

One of the swarms actually landed in the trap hive I have in a mango tree about fifteen feet from the back door. No one even heard them arrive. I happened to look up at it the other morning and "hey, there's bees up there." So that's when I went around checking the rest of the boxes. Another of them is the fourth I caught this year in the same tree with a box in exactly the same spot.

So that makes 27 total for me, with hopes that I might catch a few more in the next two or three weeks. I've now filled just about 80 percent of the bait boxes that I've set out. I also had to set up a new yard to accomodate all of them. With these new swarms I should have 17 hives there for next year.

It makes me wonder how many more swarms I could have caught if I had more bait boxes available. Making at least 20 new ones is on my "to do" list for next year.

The honey season is just about over also. In the next two weeks I need to make the rounds to harvest the last of the honey.

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Tom

[Charlie B]

Nice Tomas! Well, I got 4 so far, 2 in SF and 2 in Saratoga. Everyone weigh in with your counts. Ollie?

[odfrank]

[QUOTE=Charlie B;789661 Everyone weigh in with your counts. Ollie?[/QUOTE]

I am up to 26 baited in, one of which is Qless. Three are dinks, but those can come around later. I also have caught four swarms, and had at least three fly away or more.The season is early yet, I see last year I had one as late as 9/7, so I might still beat Tomas. I have good scout activity on several for days now, we need a heat wave to come in.

[Tomas]

Odfrank,

You probably will beat me. Like I mentioned, I am limited by available equipment. I really need to make some more bait boxes for next year. The ponential is there to catch a lot of swarms here--and save a lot of money from not having to buy nucs.

Now the question is what percentage of the boxes that you put out catch swarms? Do you have any statistics on that? I'm up to just about 80 percent filled.

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Tom

[Charlie B]

Tomas,

Ollie is very resourceful (cheap). He'll make a swarm trap out of anything. Wine boxes, left over house siding or even his empty "Depends" boxes. If he beats you it will be because of his frugalness.

[Charlie B]

How's everyone else doing?

[enchplant]

I have 12 traps up and have gotten 4 swarms in those. I have caught 5 other swarms, one of which was mine. I have done one trap out but didn't get the queen and took home a bird house full of bees.

[Charlie B]

I have 12 traps up and have gotten 4 swarms in those. I have caught 5 other swarms, one of which was mine.

ench,

You get bonus points for that swarm that had a marked queen!

[odfrank]

ench,

You get bonus points for that swarm that had a marked queen!

I think he should get at least ten points for that and an Honorable Mention at the Awards Banquet.
I am admitting too two catches that look sick with European Foulbrood. Is it in my combs or are they bringing it? All in the same neighborhood where I had lots of EFB problems already last year.

[LetMBee]

Odfrank:
They are showing signs of disease already? Man I hope that doesn't happen here. Sorry to hear it.

[Charlie B]

I am admitting too two catches that look sick with European Foulbrood. Is it in my combs or are they bringing it? All in the same neighborhood where I had lots of EFB problems already last year.

Which neighborhood? A buddy of mine did a cutout last fall in Palo Alto that had EFB.

[odfrank]

Which neighborhood? A buddy of mine did a cutout last fall in Palo Alto that had EFB.

Whipple in Redwood City, Atherton Ave in Atherton.

[odfrank]

Today's catch in San Jose, this site produced 13 last year and ten in 2010. That is a bait box hiding behind the swarm.

[Fuzzy]

Update:

3 in bait hives
10 in retrievals ( not counting the ones that I have referred to CharlieB )

But, I don't need any more bees. Am giving them all away now.

Fuzzy

[Charlie B]

That is a bait box hiding behind the swarm.

If my bait boxes looked like yours I'd hide them too!

[Charlie B]

Update: I don't need any more bees. Am giving them all away now.Fuzzy

You know my number Fuzzy!

[odfrank]

[QUOTE=Fuzzy;791337 Am giving them all away now.Fuzzy[/QUOTE]

Fuzzy, you've known me longer than Charlie and I am closer so I would be the logical choice for your left over swarms.

[LetMBee]

Finally on the board! Mark me down for 1
I don't know what day I picked this one up because the landowner is scared to death of bees and stays away from the trap. No pollen going in so probably only a couple of days.

Friday I will be checking traps most of the day. So the number should go up.

2012-05-02BEESwarmTrap02.jpg

[odfrank]

If my bait boxes looked like yours I'd hide them too!

Here is the same box moved onto it's permanent location. It might not be as pretty as some newbees brand new stuff, but it sure catches the swarms. Let's take a look at your boxes after a few years of sitting on that foggy, wet roof top. And by the way, that is # 30 for me.

[LetMBee]

Up to 5 now. The last three days have been good to me.