[onesojourner]

I had free evening and kind of on whim I decided to build a swarm box. I built it to the same deminsions as my big hive, but it only holds 10 1.25 bars. if all goes well I will build one more full size hive. I didn't spend near the time on this as I did my main hive. I just wanted to get something out there. I hung a 2 inch peice of new comb from a bar in there and a smeared the whole thing with lemon balm, I don't have any lemon grass growing at the moment. I mashed the leaves in the corner so hopefully they will give off the scent for a while. The next day I hung it in a fairly wooded area on a neighbors place about 300 yards from my hive. I guess I will just keep my fingers crossed now.

 

[cnt]

thats awesome. I have a similar sized topbar hive I made as practice before my main hive. I wish I had an equally good place to put it.

 

[AugustC]

Nothing wrong with that.
Though I do wonder how it got spooked so bad it ended so high up that tree!

 

[GaryG74]

Great pictures! Hope you catch a swarm!

 

[shannonswyatt]

How did you get it that high in the tree? I assume a rope, but can't tell from the pics.

 

[onesojourner]

I stood in the bucket of a backhoe to get it up there. It was a pain to get the strap around the tree and the box and get it tightened. next time I will make sure there is either some one in the bucket with me to hold something or I will make sure there is a branch just above so I can suspend it with a rope before I get it strapped to the tree.

 

[jwcarlson]

I stood in the bicket of a backhoe to get it up there. It was a pain to get the strap around the tree and the box and get it tightened. next time I will make sure there is either some on in the bucket with me to hold something or I will make sure there is a branch just above so I can suspend it with a rope before I get it strapped to the tree.

You're dedicated, man. I refuse to try to wrangle down a hive full of bees from that far up a tree. I just put one up at six feet.

I have three more to drill, bait, and hang.

 

[shannonswyatt]

Good luck with that! I put the value of life and limb a little higher than a box full of bees!

 

[odfrank]

>I stood in the bicket of a backhoe to get it up there.

I have caught over twenty this year and my feet never left the ground. Except to get into my truck. In a few cases I never left my property. Or even moved the trap.

 

[onesojourner]

Good luck with that! I put the value of life and limb a little higher than a box full of bees!

Haha you and me both. I have spent a lot of time getting lifted up that way so I am pretty comfortable with it. It is definitely safer than a ladder.

I have caught over twenty this year and my feet never left the ground. Except to get into my truck. In a few cases I never left my property. Or even moved the trap.

Got any tips?

 

[Charlie B]

>I stood in the bicket of a backhoe to get it up there.

I have caught over twenty this year and my feet never left the ground. Except to get into my truck. In a few cases I never left my property. Or even moved the trap.

 

[jwcarlson]

I have caught over twenty this year and my feet never left the ground. Except to get into my truck. In a few cases I never left my property. Or even moved the trap.

Got any tips?

There's probably a million things... but the single most effective one would be to live significantly closer to San Mateo, CA. Or, from the chatter on the swarm forum... CA/LA/FL in general.

 

[shannonswyatt]

There's probably a million things... but the single most effective one would be to live significantly closer to San Mateo, CA. Or, from the chatter on the swarm forum... CA/LA/FL in general.

No doubt! I hear about some swarms from a bee club I'm in, but nothing like I hear on this list

 

[jwcarlson]

No doubt! I hear about some swarms from a bee club I'm in, but nothing like I hear on this list

I'm convinced it's kind of like buying a loaf of bread. It might not be the best loaf, and it might get moldy in a day... but you can just walk out the door and find another loaf of bread with basically zero effort and without many obstacles.

I haven't seen a honey bee that I didn't "own" since my dad and grandpa stopped keeping bees 20 years ago.