[Hillbilly Tilley]

Does anyone know where I can find instructions on how to use/mount the "flower pot" type swarm catcher? I have seen them once from a company named Scentry, Inc., but I cannot find them anymore either.

Thanks,
Barry

 

[waynesgarden]

Brushy Mountain carries them.

Wayne

 

[knpeterson]

I have seen them in cataloges too. I think the sonotube traps would be similar to those. I posted a thread recently called "creative swarm traps" and there were many helpful posts there for sonotube traps and plans for some 8 frame wooden traps. I'll bump it for you.

 

[tnmx]

You can make qty of 4 five frame deep nucs out of one sheet of plywood. They should you catch a swarm you can simply move the frames into your brood boxes. It is clean and simple a nive saturday project and you have less than 5 dollars in each nuc.
Here is a link on how to doit. www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238983

 

[fish_stix]

If your area gets even a medium amount of rain do not buy the "flower pot" swarm traps. They suck up moisture like a sponge. Build nucs as referenced above or buy a couple of nucs. All the normal suppliers sell ready-made nuc boxes for just a couple bucks more than those "beekeeper catchers."

 

[Swobee]

Want a low cost version? Go to any flower/garden type store and get a foam cone for insulating roses and plants during winter. They are just a few $$ compared to the fiber board models. Paint them to make them UV resistant and fashion a removable cover for the open bottom.

My 2¢ = just use a nuc or standard hive body with drawn frames and a little lemon grass oil for attractant. Some products are maybe effective, but more or less gimicks that could be replaced with something you already have on hand. Swarm traps & bee escapes are a couple of examples in my opinion.

 

[Chick]

You have to paint the paper mache flower pot type swarm traps, to seal them, or they will soak up water. Remarkably, they do hold up to the weather pretty good, as long as you don't mess with them while they are wet. About the cheapest you can get them for is about $12 plus shipping. You can make some bait hives out of 1/2" plywood, that will hold standard frames, and it is a lot easier and cheaper, in the long run. As soon as the bees take up residence in the trap, they start building comb, and in just a couple of days, you have a mess to transfer, where if you build a bait hive that holds frames, all you have to do is transfer the frames into a hive body. I built mine the size of a 8 frame hive body, to meet the 40 liter recommendation from the USDA and Cornell University. Most of the people here use 5 frame nucs, with success. You can build 3 - 8 frame bait hives out of one sheet of 1/2" plywood. Home Depot sells the 1/2" plywood for $14.95, so they cost you about $5 a piece, plus frames and foundation which you will need anyway. Look at the other swarm trap posts here. Hambone posted pictures of my bait hives. I can't get the image or link to post on this forum, so he did it for me.

 

[dixiebooks]

You can make qty of 4 five frame deep nucs out of one sheet of plywood. They should you catch a swarm you can simply move the frames into your brood boxes. It is clean and simple a nive saturday project and you have less than 5 dollars in each nuc.
Here is a link on how to doit. www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?t=238983

tnmx: When you build these, do you draw out the parts on your plywood sheet and then cut them out all at once or do you just cut them out one at a time? If you cut them out all at once, do you allow a bit extra width to allow for the width of the saw blade?

In other words, do you cut them so that the final pieces are the exact dimensions you have demonstrated on photobucket? If you simply map them out all at once and cut them out, then each cut piece will be slightly smaller.

Sounds a bit anal retentive, I know. But, I don't want to cut up a whole sheet of plywood and find that the boxes hold only 4 frames with a big space because they are just 1/16" too small to fit in five frames.

Thanks.

-James

 

[waynesgarden]

for the width of the saw blade?

In other words, do you cut them so that the final pieces are the exact dimensions you have demonstrated on photobucket? If you simply map them out all at once and cut them out, then each cut piece will be slightly smaller.

I believe that was discussed in the thread that you quoted. As in any woodworking project, you need to account for your saw blade thickness (kerf) when laying out your cuts.

Wayne

 

[dixiebooks]

Thanks, Wayne. I did not see that in the thread (and still don't). Still, you answered the question and i appreciate that. -james

 

[Beaver Dam]

Width of a blade? My saw is so old if I get within a 3/8 of an inch I'm good. The bees will fill the voids.

 

[dixiebooks]

I was more concerned with the the inside of the nuc being too narrow or too wide. Also, the possibility of the thing getting out of square, but of most concern are those inside dimensions (bee space, and all). Thx. -james