Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => HONEYBEE REMOVAL => Topic started by: ArmucheeBee on February 05, 2009, 10:24:01 pm
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I plan on building some medium nucs to use as swarm traps. I use a single hole in the front of mine. My question is: do you think I should have a screen bottom board? Would this better help to attract? The SBB saves me time and wood. I plan on including 3 new foundation frames and 2 with used comb in each nuc and a Mann Lake swarm lurer. Thoughts.
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I plan on building some medium nucs to use as swarm traps. I use a single hole in the front of mine. My question is: do you think I should have a screen bottom board? Would this better help to attract? The SBB saves me time and wood. I plan on including 3 new foundation frames and 2 with used comb in each nuc and a Mann Lake swarm lurer. Thoughts.
A medium nuc is not large enough to hold an average of large swarm, they will most likely opt for something different or abscond if caught. I've had it happen. If using medium nuc boxes you'll need to double up to make a space slightly larger than a single deep.
The rest of you plan is okay.
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The best place to set a swarm trap is said to be 10 feet off the ground. I think a screened bottom would be too open for them to accept it. I have never seen a swarm move into a bottomless hive. Bees cannot see the screen as a full shape, so will consider it an open area.
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The average swarm I catch are in the 3-4 lb range but some are in the 7 lb and up range. I like a medium for most but the large ones won't fit in a deep.
This one needed a deep and then some. http://picasaweb.google.com/pyxicephalus/May252008?feat=directlink
...JP
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I have some drawn comb (about 5) and couple extra medium boxes, that I want to use as a swarm trap.
I plan to use solid bottom board, put boxes on top of shed (next to bee yard) or in a tree with a couple frames of drawn comb. Haven't done this before.
Does this sound like a decent plan?