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Author Topic: Will These Swarm Traps Work?  (Read 6491 times)

Offline simmonds

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Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« on: May 08, 2012, 06:35:49 pm »
Ok, I guess I should have asked these questions first, but i was really excited to build these especially since our successful cutout on Saturday.  Julie and I are addicted already and having a blast and it is so nice to have a hobby we both enjoy!

I built these swarm traps based on a video on youtube plus reading lots of threads here.  I messed up on the dimensions as I intended them to hold 8 deep frames but they only hold 7.  I didn't have a larger hole saw than a half inch bit so I just drilled two holes side by side.  Will this be enough area for an opening?

I stenciled the boxes kind of as a warning to children who might see them and the word "danger", although not true whatsoever, might help to prevent unwanted rock throwing or tampering.  :-D

I used old pallet wood which I think will hold up well in the weather without the need to paint and they seem like they will blend in nicely on a tree trunk etc..

My main concern is the size.  Do you think this size is enough to lure a swarm or are they going to be looking for something bigger with more space below the frames (the frames come within an inch of the bottom?

I cut a straw in thirds and stuffed them with cotton balls and put several drops of lemongrass oil in them.  Hopefully this will be enough to lure them.

Chris




P.S.  WooHoo, we can post pictures now!

Offline AllenF

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #1 on: May 08, 2012, 06:43:14 pm »
I think they will work just fine.   I would not have painted danger bees on them though.   That to me is just asking for trouble.   You can see that kind of stupid going on at Youtube also. 

Offline BeeMaster2

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #2 on: May 08, 2012, 06:48:38 pm »
They look good. Mine are 6 frame nucs. I also use 10 frame hives as traps but have not had any takers in the 10 frames. I just have them on my hive stands. Probably not high enough for the bee preference.
Jim
Democracy is 2 wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote.
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Offline simmonds

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #3 on: May 08, 2012, 06:51:31 pm »
Allen,
Thanks. These traps will be on our acreage (300 acres) where we share the mountain with a few other houses of which a couple have small children. If I hang traps off our property I will camo the boxes with lichen and branches where only the front would show.  Thanks!

Chris and Julie

Offline BlueBee

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #4 on: May 08, 2012, 10:27:58 pm »
Looks good to me, but you might need to build some more.  I’m up to 10 swarms so far this spring.

Swarms will vary in size depending upon rather they are a prime swarm and how massive the parent colony got before swarming.  I’ve seen them as small as a softball and bigger than two basketballs.  To me it looks like your traps are a good size for an average swarm.   However I’m not a bee.

7 deep frames can hold a lot of bees especially if some of your frames are foundationless.  The exact number I don’t know, but a deep frame has around 6500 cells.  I would guess a single bee on a packed frame would cover 3 to 4 cells.  6500 x 7 = 45500 cells.  45000/1 bee per 3.5 cells = 13,000 bees.  Supposedly 3000 per lbs.  So the comb in your traps may accommodate 4 lbs of bees.  I didn’t count the walls, and top of your box, but the bees need some spare room too. 

Offline simmonds

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #5 on: May 08, 2012, 11:51:57 pm »
Looks good to me, but you might need to build some more.  I’m up to 10 swarms so far this spring.

Swarms will vary in size depending upon rather they are a prime swarm and how massive the parent colony got before swarming.  I’ve seen them as small as a softball and bigger than two basketballs.  To me it looks like your traps are a good size for an average swarm.   However I’m not a bee.

7 deep frames can hold a lot of bees especially if some of your frames are foundationless.  The exact number I don’t know, but a deep frame has around 6500 cells.  I would guess a single bee on a packed frame would cover 3 to 4 cells.  6500 x 7 = 45500 cells.  45000/1 bee per 3.5 cells = 13,000 bees.  Supposedly 3000 per lbs.  So the comb in your traps may accommodate 4 lbs of bees.  I didn’t count the walls, and top of your box, but the bees need some spare room too. 


Thanks BlueBee!  I appreciate the math ;)  Looks like I will give these things a try...silly stenciling and all!  :-\  I found a promising location on the property that looks really good;  a half dozen bloomed fruit tress with hundreds of bees gathering pollen there, a nice water source and a large holly tree I think would be great to hang one of these.

Offline nietssemaj

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #6 on: May 09, 2012, 06:57:24 am »
Just out of curiosity, where did you get your stencil? You just tape together letters yourself? You have a stencil cutter?

Offline simmonds

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #7 on: May 09, 2012, 11:29:14 am »
Just out of curiosity, where did you get your stencil? You just tape together letters yourself? You have a stencil cutter?

They are just cheap plastic stencil sheet from the craft store. A-Z and 0-9 and I just used a large black permanent pen.

Offline CapnChkn

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #8 on: May 10, 2012, 02:29:04 am »
Yep, they'll work size wize.  Here you can see a post of a 5 frame medium nucleus box I set in a tree out in some woods around where I live.  I usually use 5 frame deep boxes made with 3/8" (9 mm) sheathing plywood, because I like to put them out of the way and something as big as you've built there are bulky and heavy.  I would like to post a photo, but the host I was using has dumped all my stuff again and though I have the account reactivated I haven't been able to get the browser to read the front page. :thunder:
"Thinking is like sin, them that doesn't is scairt of it, and them that does gets to liking it so much they can't quit!"  -Josh Billings.

Offline oregonbeeman

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #9 on: May 31, 2012, 01:48:50 am »
Those look like great swarm traps. Just make sure the entrance is small enough that birds can't get get in a make a nest.

Offline Satch

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Re: Will These Swarm Traps Work?
« Reply #10 on: August 11, 2012, 11:54:20 pm »
What about putting open frames inside versus frames with foundation.  When bees swarm, they carry their wax with them, and I am starting to wonder if the foundation turns them away.

 

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