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Author Topic: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap  (Read 9888 times)

Offline JP

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Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« on: March 20, 2009, 11:38:50 pm »
A customer who I removed bees for last year http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/June132008#

called me this past Monday about seeing some bees checking things out at her house near the area where the hive I removed last year was located.

I went over and hung a swarm trap and told her to call me if she was seeing lots of two way traffic from the trap. She called Wednesday and said there were bees checking the trap out and then yesterday called to say there was a huge ball of bees on the bottom of the trap.

I went over today and found a swarm had indeed moved in and took pictures. I will go back right at dark next week and remove the trap and replace it with another. She said a bunch of kids in the neighborhood were enamored with the bees entering the trap, watching from her yard after asking permission to check out the bee trap.

I also caught a small swarm later on today, probably an after swarm.

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/March202009?authkey=Gv1sRgCMbz7ceg8f7fmAE#


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Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2009, 12:34:04 am »
Just love the xerox boxes. I got one just like that as I am following your steps. Hopefully it will work out like yours does.

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2009, 12:47:10 am »
Annette, I know it must seem a little overwhelming with the different scenarios swarms may present but once you catch a few, you'll see everything you've been anticipating will fall right in place.

Yes, there are little tricks that may help in this or that situation but when you get right down to it, its just some bees and a queen looking for a new home.

Think of a swarm as a package installation, cause that's really what you're dealing with, same basic thing.

I look forward to you catching you a nice one!


...JP
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Offline fermentedhiker

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2009, 10:29:11 pm »
I have to say that my first and so far only swarm catch was text book.  A friend was excited about me getting bees and said he was going to get some also and what do you know he calls me two weeks later asking me to help him catch a swarm he found.  About a 3lb swarm hanging 5 feet of the ground in a rhododendron bush.  He had managed to find the landlord telephone number and get permission to remove it by the time I got there.  Walked up sprayed them with sugar water(they were in love with me after that) and dropped them into a 5 gallon bucket.  Tossed a wet shirt over the top and tied it off.  They turned out to be wonderful bees for him.  Super gentle and calm on the comb, a little propolis happy but you gotta take the good with the bad right.
Human beings, who are almost unique in having the ability to learn from the experience of others, are also remarkable for their apparent disinclination to do so.
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Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2009, 11:22:03 pm »
Hey, more propolis is a desirable trait down here, helps them to cement the covers down better for hurricane preparedness!


...JP
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Offline Cindi

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2009, 11:44:52 pm »
JP, I am beginning to think that you are using the law of attraction for the swarms that you contact with, smiling.  You go, dude!!!  Have that awesomely great and beautiful day, love our life, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2009, 12:08:20 am »
JP you are changing your avatar so many times now, I don't know who you are anymore.

Just Kidding!!  Actually I like this one with the hives. Are they yours??

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #7 on: April 03, 2009, 01:30:15 am »
Those are a bunch of medium supers and some deeps my nephew painted up and put together last season.

He had stacked them on my back patio and I thought they looked cool so I took the picture.


...JP
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Offline JP

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Re: Swarm #2 Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #8 on: April 06, 2009, 12:27:43 am »
Another swarm caught from same house. The lady called me Friday to say there were scouts checking out the trap and yesterday she called full of enthusiasm!

She called and said, "I just saw the most beautiful sight!" She witnessed the swarm come into the trap with the sky full of thousands of bees.

She was just thrilled.


Shook 'em in a deep. They were a little riled up and we both took a few stings, guess they were hungry, but will need to keep an eye on them.

Pics: http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/April52009?authkey=Gv1sRgCP2s0YmZ9eXrOw#


...JP
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Offline slaphead

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #9 on: April 06, 2009, 01:27:08 am »
JP,

It is amazing how may swarms you are finding.

you make it look easy.

Congrats.

SH
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Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #10 on: April 06, 2009, 09:18:46 am »
I found out yesterday that the people across the street from this lady have had bees 3 different times in their home.

The swarm trap is back up and ready for #3. I believe it will happen.


...JP
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Offline KD4MOJ

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #11 on: April 06, 2009, 09:36:10 am »
JP I'm sure there is a story behind the casket and the bees...

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #12 on: April 06, 2009, 09:47:39 am »
JP I'm sure there is a story behind the casket and the bees...

Why, yes there is!

The family of the deceased was to perform a burial and when the granite facing was removed, they were treated with a surprise. That's when I was called in. The queen was unusually reddish in color from any queen I've ever seen down here.

For those who missed this post, here are those pictures http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/April252008#


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Offline wadehump

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #13 on: April 06, 2009, 11:32:03 am »
jp are you using a lure in your swarm traps

Offline wadehump

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2009, 11:53:11 am »
bump

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2009, 12:21:15 pm »
jp are you using a lure in your swarm traps

Yes, a little chunk of old comb and a piece of napkin dotted with a spec of lemongrass oil.

BTW, bees are checking the trap out again!


...JP
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Offline dpence

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2009, 10:38:45 pm »
Way to go JP...cool.

Offline Cheryl

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #17 on: April 11, 2009, 01:13:35 am »
The queen was unusually reddish in color from any queen I've ever seen down here.
Those are lovely photos of the queen. She's beautiful.
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Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.

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Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #18 on: April 11, 2009, 01:22:01 am »
Cheryl, she was quite a beauty, unusually reddish compared to what I normally see in our area.


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Offline Natalie

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #19 on: April 11, 2009, 10:42:35 am »
JP, I can't believe how many swarms you find in your area, I never hear of anything like that around here.
So what do you do with them all? Do you keep them or sell them after they build up?

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #20 on: April 11, 2009, 11:07:39 am »
I can't keep them all, I just don't have the time to keep up with so many. I give some to friends and also help some people get set up with beekeeping. Most are people who have had bees living in their houses and have become fascinated with them.

Next Saturday, I will be removing a hive for a fellow who wants to start up.

My friend Bailey in Raceland, a member on the forums here, has been growing his apiary for the past two years.

He is more than happy to take swarms off my hands.

Jimmy from Franklinton, Louisiana has also been the recipient of some bees I caught.

I have a friend Jay, who is strictly a beekeeper, he gets swarms and cut outs as well.

Now this year, I am building up my colonies as I lost quite a few this winter for a variety of reasons. I like to stay at or around the fifty mark.

Today I am moving three hives to our property in Mississippi!

My wife has been showing real interest in becoming a beek. She will really be helping out with these hives as she can get away more often then I can, this time of year.



...JP
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Offline Natalie

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #21 on: April 11, 2009, 04:13:46 pm »
I think thats great that you give them to people and help so many people get started with bees, that is an awesome thing to do.
Making the world a better place one bee at a time.  :)

Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #22 on: April 11, 2009, 11:41:32 pm »
JP I think that is so very exciting about your wife getting into the bees. Now you will have another wonderful thing to share with her. I wish my husband would show some interest. He just lets me do my thing (thank G-D), but doesn't want any part of it.

I took him up there once to help me and he kept asking me if he could leave now. That was the last time I ever asked him for help. Wonderful guy otherwise.


Offline Natalie

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #23 on: April 12, 2009, 01:32:12 am »
I agree, it will be great for you two to have this in common.
I am the one that brought up the idea of beekeeping and I read all the books, ordered the equipment and all that stuff but my husband went to beekeeping classes with me.
He is more of the hands on type for learning so I pretty much have to learn everything I can and then show him.
He wants to leave all the decisions up to me as far as how we approach things because he knows that I know more than him right now but he is happy to be involved.
Annette, maybe he will come around and be more interested someday, especially as you become more deeply involved in it, he may decide he wants to be a part of that.
You never know  ;)


Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #24 on: April 12, 2009, 11:57:31 pm »
Well Natalie

Knowing my hubby, it will never happen. The bees would have to lay golden eggs for him to be interested. He just sees this as money going down the drain, but he has been supportive otherwise and he listens to all my stories of the bees.

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #25 on: April 13, 2009, 12:08:14 am »
Annette, does he like honey? Have y'all been able to harvest any from your hives?

If he's supportive otherwise then do your thing girl. I'm sure there are things he does that don't make much sense to you either, but the key is to find that happy ground.

As Cindi would say, you are under the spell of the honeybee and you will keep on keeping bees.

Just he wait until the honey money rolls on in, he will most likely want more hives at that point.

My wife has really been liking the honey money as of late, just today she said, I want 100 hives on our land in Mississippi.

My friend Bailey's wife just the other day told him "we need more hives."

And to think both of our wives thought it quite strange to keep bees!

Hang in there Annette, I have faith he'll come around.


...JP
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Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #26 on: April 13, 2009, 12:15:09 am »
 :rainbowflower: :rainbowflower: Gonna be bright, bright sun shiny days

Offline johnnybigfish

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #27 on: April 13, 2009, 12:17:50 am »
Oh Mannn, JP!
 I never saw the coffin post before!.That was sooo creepy!.But, Its the coolest place Ive ever seen for bees to be!
Did you have to move the coffin too? Were the relatives there watching you get the bees? Was it kinda creepy?
Here in a mausoleum full of deads a few years ago, one of the vaults was found leaking some kind of goo.Appparently, body fluids started coming out of the body and out of the coffin all over the place, stinking...Blech!...anyways, a funeral parlor got sued over this mess!
 You really ARE the King, you know! Sure is good you get all these cool pictures! Especially the one with you and the coffin! I bet you were crackin up, were'nt you? :-D
your friend,
john

Offline JP

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #28 on: April 13, 2009, 12:28:17 am »
John, I did not have to move the casket, just the bees. Moving the casket would have been extra! :-D

I don't personally care for cemeteries nor mausoleums. I am a fan of cremation. I told my wife, mix some of my ashes in with some pine needles or burlap in my smoker, the rest disperse on our land.

What's creepy about mausoleums is the decaying dead bodies that always attract hoards of disgusting roaches and flies, this one was no different.


...JP
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Offline annette

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Re: Swarm Intercepted By Swarm Trap
« Reply #29 on: April 13, 2009, 12:37:22 am »
Yes, cremation is for me to and I have told numerous people including my hubby . I feel very strong about this point.

 

anything