trapping robber bees

[Fl_Beak]

anyone ever try to trap robber bees and do a combine?

something along the lines of an open feeder bucket, with a reversed bee escape- then move those foragers to another yard...?

[ralittlefield]

I can't imagine how one would do this. How do you trap them, in a vacant hive baited with honey? How do you get them to stay? The hive they were combined with would have to be some distance from their home hive, and obviously would also have to be some distance from the hive they were robbing.

Interesting idea. I look forward to seeing the response to this.

[jmgi]

Instead of figuring out a way to trap robber bees, the beekeeping community would rather you spend your time coming up with a way to eliminate varroa mites. Now that would be productive. John

[pedrocr]

You're looking to steal someone else's bees?

[Michael Bush]

I have tried it with somewhat mixed results. I don't think it's worth it.

[rtoney]

This part of the bee keeping community thinks you should try if you like & bees are only your when they are in your hive.
Good luck

[Fl_Beak]

not sure how- figured I'd post it. I guess it is a little bit controversial. But many things can be.

[AramF]

Well, that's exactly the thought that I had this summer, except instead of honey or syrup to attract them, what I was doing is using my heat gun on cappings in my wax melter when the sun was gone. After about 20 seconds of running the gun and perfuming the air with the smell of melting wax/cacoons/honey I had around 200 bees homing in on me. Bee espace would have worked beautifully, but I never tried it. I guess the issues are that you are getting half-life bees, that might be deseased.

[jdmidwest]

You're looking to steal someone else's bees?

I just smelt my beer as it shot thru my nose!

[rmcpb]

Or end up trapping many of your own bees that were attracted as well.

[pedrocr]

I just smelt my beer as it shot thru my nose!

I wasn't trying to be polemic. If what you want to do is put the foragers of one of your hives into another box you can just move the hive somewhere else and put the box on the original site. So what other use could there be for baiting bees into robbing so you can trap them?

[jdmidwest]

I wasn't trying to be polemic.

Shucks, I thought you were trying to be funny! Something just seemed that way.