Swarm challenge

[KQ6AR]

Still Zero in my bait hives.
Caught 8 by hand, have re-homed 3 so far.

[Charlie B]

Dan,

If you've made the fatal mistake of telling Ollie where your traps are, he'll check them before you get a chance.

[odfrank]

Dan, If you've made the fatal mistake of telling Ollie where your traps are, he'll check them before you get a chance.

The traffic and bridge tolls on that weekly drive to Concord are killer but the swarms I have shaken from Dan's boxes are really nice.
Charlie, your MIL is a sweetheart, I was so sweaty from milking your hives in Saratoga she gave me a tall glass of ice tea to cool me down.
PS: could you move the hives closer to the driveway? It is a long carry back to my truck with those heavy boxes of honey.

[Charlie B]

Everyone,

I think Tomas in Honduras is our only hope of beating Ollie the swarm bully.

Tomas, HELP!!

[odfrank]

I think Tomas in Honduras is our only hope of beating Ollie the swarm bully.

Tomas better hustle, here is #33 for me, same spot as #30, new box, caught by Bob the Bee Whisper in San Jose. Two that he caught for me last year are my best hives this year. They cleanup house ASAP.

[odfrank]

Andrew watch out!!
# 34 caught about one mile plus from your house Parrot X GlenBrook.

[odfrank]

Unpacked # 16 (caught 4/18/12) today, it is the Victoria Secrets bait swarm. Two 11 1/4" drawn comb, drew out most of six foundations. Heavy with honey and brood.

[odfrank]

#35 - The best location to trap bees, right on the stand. Today's catch, third in this box in a month, 9 1/8" frames in a box for 11 1/4" frames. Bob said it barely fits, I will box it up tomorrow.

[BayHighlandBees]

OD,
I'll be on the lookout. You look like you are on quite a roll!

[Fuzzy]

"I think Tomas in Honduras is our only hope of beating Ollie the swarm bully"

Charlie,

That's beginning to sound like sour grapes on your part. It's time to admit that you are getting your butt kicked by the old guy !!!

It ain't bragging if you're doing it !

Congrats to Oliver -- Fuzzy ( another old guy )

[odfrank]

Charlie,That's beginning to sound like sour grapes on your part. It's time to admit that you are getting your butt kicked by the old guy !!!Congrats to Oliver -- Fuzzy ( another old guy )

Charlies has admitted that he is only a few years younger than me. You can say sour grapes again, twice.

Here is swarm from yesterday, post 208. I think that box has caught three this year and I reset it today. The bee had drawn a wild comb in about 16 hours in the bottom gap due to frames shorter than the box. Lots of festooning down there.

[Luv2beekeep]

Caught two swarms today here in Idaho. Both were approximately 7 lbs each. they were huge, had to use two deeps on each of them. It was great. My 10 year old daughter called me at work and said dad,these bees just flew over me and they sounded like your motorcycle, then they all landed in the pine tree by the chickens. She was so excitedshe could hardly talk. Needless to say I headed straight for home. Got them gathered up. Just finishing up with that swarm and a neighbor called and said I have a huge swarm of bees that just landed in my tree. Loaded up the equipment and the daughter and headed for the neighbors. Got them gathered up and put away. Man what a great day. I haven't seen my daughter that excited in a long time. She said, Dad, I am going to be a swarm catcher when I grow up. I said, I think you already are. It was AWESOME baby with a capital A.

[enchplant]

Okay this is nothing compared with Odfrank, but I have caught 6 swarms in in the 12 bait hives I have put out here in Contra Costa. Next year I will make sure I put the full compliment of empty frames or foundation in each box. I was being cheap- Cheap seems to be a theme here! Anyhow it is no fun having to do cut outs when you bring home a lovely hive packed with honey and brood.

[odfrank]

[QUOTE=enchplant;794374] Next year I will make sure I put the full compliment of empty frames or foundation in each box.Cheap seems to be a theme here!

>Next year I will make sure I put the full compliment of empty frames or foundation in each box.
Those are words to live by for Langstroth beekeepers.
>Cheap seems to be a theme here!
If Charlie is the theme, yep, it's cheap.

[odfrank]

Today's catches, #'s 36 & 37: A small one in a winter deadout just left on the stand. Another catch by BeeWhisperer Bob in San Jose. That spot on the deck has caught four this year, and three in the last few days.

[odfrank]

I am having good luck with new wine boxes in which I have melted about a 3" diameter circle of propolis and LGO on the inside near the entrance. Yesterday when I did a transfer from the trap to a box, I saw a bee standing on that circle sniffing around. I also saw a bee checking out the stored empty traps. I put a ball of propolis on the inside with the side sitting level, heat it up with my heat gun, blow it around and as it melts drip a few drops of LGO into the molten slurry.
I name this the "Ollie Splotch".

[odfrank]

I moved the catch in post #206 three miles at dusk, almost dark. As I left the site I saw a few stragglers returning. The frames were full of honey. The host reports about 50 returning bees the next day. They either were flying in the dark, camped out or flew the 3 miles back the next day.

[Charlie B]

I name this the "Ollie Splotch".

I think "Ollie Oil" is a better name. What's everyone else think?

[odfrank]

I think "Ollie Oil" is a better name. What's everyone else think?

Charlie, if you figure out the formulation to make it pour like an oil, we can bottle and market it and I will cut you in on 10% on the profits.

[Fuzzy]

Odfrank,

Since I know the ingredients and can make a pourable solution, what do I need you for ? And it won't be called "ollie oil".

Fuzzy