Beesource Beekeeping Forums banner

This year's Odfrank Swarm Trap Models - 2013 year model #1

35K views 94 replies 29 participants last post by  delber 
#1 ·
Having passed through my five frame nuc box phase, my winebox phase, my Styrofoam fish box phase, my packing crate phase, my eight frame phase....I am now trying to get back to the basics. My goals this year are:
Make no superfluous equipment. I have enough five frame nuc boxes and they are to small for bait hives, but work adequately.
Make traps big enough to include some foundation to draw to eliminate the need to service soon after catching, and use a swarm's ability to draw comb.
Make them bee tight, for easy no beesuit moving.
Make them bee tight enough that my non beekeeper friend can move them.
Make them light enough that I can move them.
Make them a good value for expanding my apiary with minimal specialized investment.
Make them the same green color that makes Charlie B sick to his stomach.:D:thumbsup::lpf:

All of this years models are made from budget grade deep boxes. Model # 1 has a steel entrance disk for easy closure. It has a 1/4" thick luan top and bottom to minimize it's weight. The bottoms are screwed on, the tops will probably be also, but duct tape or straps might be used on other models. I will probably transfer the bees into plain boxes, but I can easily remove the bottoms and just place the box on a bottom with a good top. The inside will get an area treated with a slurry of wax, propolis and LGO spread around with my heat gun or painted on from a hot pot full of brew. Stay tuned for Model 2 and 3.



 
See less See more
2
#40 ·
No, don't change them just for Charlie, he has warped taste in colors. They look just fine to me, will blend in to the foliage just fine.
What is the green closure square made of? Do you have ventilation if you move them on a hot night? I have to look for some hard, flat, thick, plastic screen with which to make similar closures.
A closeup picture of those would be nice.
 
#44 · (Edited)
Having passed through my five frame nuc box phase, my winebox phase, my Styrofoam fish box phase, my packing crate phase, my eight frame phase....I am now trying to get back to the basics. My goals this year are:
Make no superfluous equipment. I have enough five frame nuc boxes and they are to small for bait hives, but work adequately.
Make traps big enough to include some foundation to draw to eliminate the need to service soon after catching, and use a swarm's ability to draw comb.
Make them bee tight, for easy no beesuit moving.
Make them bee tight enough that my non beekeeper friend can move them.
Make them light enough that I can move them.
Make them a good value for expanding my apiary with minimal specialized investment.
Make them the same green color that makes Charlie B sick to his stomach.:D:thumbsup::lpf:
I'm sure glad you have gone through all this before and are happy to share your discarded designs...that enables us to adopt your best strategies. It has been helpful to me and I appreciate it. I was about to order some kind of lure for my bait hives, I guess I'll try the odfrank concoction or at least the ingredients I have on hand. Thanks :)
 
#46 ·
I have an apiary brand number. Need to get it on my boxes.

Now I want to know, having tried to remove the screwed on plywood bottom board with a swarm in one of my traps, how is the easy removal process when there are bees in that hive? I ended up removing the frames and dealing with it later.

I'm sticking with my plastic needlework screens, tomato paste lids and a single screw to rotate, placed below the opening. With a total equipment cost for the closure at 38 cents for a needlework screen, I have more cash to buy sugar to feed them, lol.

Gypsi
 
#47 ·
My plan was to tip them on end and take my battery drill to move the screws.
 
#48 ·
Charlie, could you please broach the smeared paint on the entrances with Mr. Conrad? I don't know how to go about it without maybe upsetting him.
 
#53 ·
...snip...The inside will get an area treated with a slurry of wax, propolis and LGO spread around with my heat gun or painted on from a hot pot full of brew.
I have a question along this line for inoculating the hive with smells the bees like. Last night I dipped some plastic frames in hot wax which was floating on water. This morning the remaining water smelled like the wax and hive. I went ahead and poured that water into my bait hives, sloshed it around on all sides and poured it out. I doubt it will hurt anything, but hopefully, may have left some attractive scents. Will still put some slurry in there too. Any thoughts?
 
#63 ·
I trap swarms, I don't steal swarm traps. With that fancy camo, you just have too much time on your hands. Quit ignoring Wotsee and take her to the park or zoo or something.
 
#65 ·
With that talent she should go to fine arts college. I might drive out some of mine for her to paint.
 
#70 ·
What I meant to ask about was an entrance on the underside of the box. I have quite a few plastic disks to close the entrance at the right time....on the bottom, it won't get any sun exposure and should last longer. :)
 
#69 ·
If there is a swarm looking for housing an empty nuc with a bottom entrance works out fine. I caught my first swarm entirely by accident in one.

But to move a newly set swarm it does help to have an easy way to close the hive, so most of my actual traps have 3/4 inch or 1 inch drilled openings, plastic needlework canvas and a tomato paste lid for adjustable closings.. And if the canvas has to be replaced each year, a 38 cent sheet will make about 100 closings, so I'm cool with that.
 
#71 ·
I have not tried a bottom entrance. It might be hard to see the closed setting when you pick up the box in the dark. I would think the bees would find it OK, although that dark hole on the font of a trap might be a good visual cue for them which they might will not see on the bottom. I have tried a top entrance and it worked fine. That was going to be Model #3 on this thread. Same good value, just use a deep box with some cheap thin plywood and drill a hole in the top. Use 1/8" hardware cloth as the closure.
 
#74 ·
I got a report from San Jose that I caught my first swarm in the new model. It is great that the new swarm has ten frames and foundation, I will not have to drive down to service it for a few weeks.
 
#78 ·
I plan on putting out several deep boxes soon. I've caught swarms in the past using them.
I put old frames that I would otherwise throw out in my boxes with at least one old dark brood comb. Other frames, when I am motivated, get a medium foundation at the top.
I am toying with the idea of using window screen for bottoms on about 12 new boxes that I am going to put up. Anyone think this would make the box less desirable for the bees?
For openings I keep foam rubber handy at all times. It is great for stuffing in any shape entrance and stays put.
I've got a good supply of LGO. Does this really help get the box looked at?
Thanks
Howard
 
#79 ·
I don't think I would go with the window screens. Someone with more experience can chime in, but I think they won't like it. Use some coraplast if you can get it free. Coroplast would outlive the boxes and wouldn't be a fragile as the screen. Everyone says to use LGO, some say that it as good as QMP and it is cheap.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top