Swarm Trap Worked--- But Now What?

3147 Views 11 Replies 9 Participants Last post by walking bird, Mar 25, 2010

walking bird

Discussion Starter · Mar 22, 2010

One week after placement of a swarm trap I got some new residents. Obviously, I can't leave them in the nuc box up in my treehouse

I have to close them up and move them, but I'm limited to two potential destinations:

1) My main beeyard, which is about ten yards away (and at ground level, of course)

2. Another smaller "beeyard" (just two hives and a nuc split, right now) about 100-125 yards uphill.

Does it matter which I choose? Have they already imprinted on their new locale, and will they get confused no matter which home I choose? Where do most of you move your trapped swarms once you pull them down from their roost?

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USCBeeMan

· #2 · Mar 22, 2010

Put them where you want them. They are oriented to being 10 feet up. I would think that would change things up some when they are on the ground the next day. Point the Nuc in a different direction and also put a bunch of limbs across the front of the box so that they will have to reorientate themselves.

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AmericasBeekeeper

· #3 · Mar 22, 2010

Almost every reference says 2 feet or 2 miles. You will loose a bunch of foragers, but it sounds like you cannot move them short distances. You might get away with 10 ft jumps. I moved my teaching hive to a higher stand. I might as well have moved them horizontally.

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RayMarler

· #4 · Mar 22, 2010

I'd do just like USCBeeMan, put them where you want them, quickly. Put branch in front or a stick or board, anything to obstruct free flight from the entrance. And facing a different direction is great idea also, and do it early in morning or late in day at sunset.

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Buffalolick

· #5 · Mar 22, 2010

Congrats on the catch! When I have bought nucs in the past I picked them up at dusk and moved them to the new location by morning. Ofcourse that new location was plenty distant from the old... I would guess moving a new swarm to be similar...hope to find out with my own swarm traps soon! Good luck!

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BEES4U

· #6 · Mar 22, 2010

A swarm has very good orientatint instincts as they settle down into their new home and if you move them within minutes or hours they will orient to the place where you want them to reside.

For example: I hived a swarm at 1:00 PM. went to lunch, the bees entered the nuc while I had lunch, returned at 2:30 PM, and moved them over to their new location which was 30' away. No problemo.
But, do not do that after a day or so!

Good luck with your home delivered bees. No trip up I-5 for that one!
Ernie

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stangardener

· #7 · Mar 22, 2010

i too say put em where you want them. then put a trap back in the same spot. i think good swarm trap spots are like good fishing spots, you tend to have luck over and over in a good spot. also if there are a few queenless bees hanging around the old spot i think it might atract more swarm scouts.

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Jer733

· #8 · Mar 22, 2010

Congrats on the catch.

Bees flying down here for a couple weeks now.

USCBEEMAN is right on, move them tonight and put some stuff in front of the entrance so they have to fly around it in the AM.

This will mka ethem remember this new location.

Happy Beeing!

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walking bird

Discussion Starter · #9 · Mar 24, 2010

thanks everyone. Due to the inconvenience of having to go to work each day (and out of town on biz) I haven't been able to move them yet--- and in the meantime it looks like my second trap may have caught another swarm as well. So, I'll move both (hopefully this evening).

I'll take the advice of cluttering up the entrance and changing their orientation towards the sun, and see what happens.

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Beaver Dam

· #10 · Mar 25, 2010

If that was an established hive I don't think 2 weeks is long enough to do a complete trap out. What say others?

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Jer733

· #11 · Mar 25, 2010

My opinion, tough early spring when plenty of nectar is available. Bees will not rob out original hive.

Depends on if you just want bees, I have gotten a deep full of bees in two days from the base of an old pepper tree.

Spring started a while ago here in So Cal.

Jer

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walking bird

Discussion Starter · #12 · Mar 25, 2010

I wasn't trapping out a hive. Just setting boxes and hoping the random swarm thought they looked appealing. Evidently one did.

I checked before work this morning, and only one of the two boxes has residents (I thought they both did; but no). I'll move the box this evening after work, and we'll see what happens.

Thanks again, everyone.

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