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Author Topic: securing a swarm  (Read 2810 times)

Offline bill

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securing a swarm
« on: May 24, 2005, 12:32:25 am »
well just lost the last swarm I got . I had a problem getting them into the box and I suspect I lost the queen or killed her.It made me think about putting together a bee vac. I have already bought some lemon grass oil. I was thinking of putting together a screen enclosed area where I could put a swarm in a hive body but feed them and hold them untill they settle in. has anyone read about or done this ?
billiet

Offline thegolfpsycho

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securing a swarm
« Reply #1 on: May 24, 2005, 12:45:25 am »
Bees need to fly.  I have never thought of caging them to keep them.  Using excluders as includers, giving a frame of unsealed brood, have almost always worked for me.  I guess I have been lucky and most always got the queen.  I have never gone for tough removals or high wire acts in captures. (hey!! look at me working without a net!!)   I told the Fire Department guy and the sherrif, I'll pick up swarms if they are reachable.  I'm not handy enough to tear into a house, and too old/large, to climb a tree.  Maybe that's part of my luck.

Offline bill

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securing a swarm
« Reply #2 on: May 24, 2005, 09:28:20 am »
well I would not resort to sit if I had not lost three swarms. I have already set my hive that I hoped to get honey from back from removing frames in an attempt to start nucs from the queens that I bought this spring. one of which was robbed out by one of my swarms,that swarm is progressing nicely. i also had a frame come apart during these manipulations. it was on old plastic foundation and though I rubberbanded it back together  the old plastic was distorted and I ended up losing it alltogether. I am waiting for my other colonies to become large enough to remove some brood so I am thinking to devise a method to ensure that when I go get one I can minimize chances of it absconding. One of my friendis from the farmers market keeps bees just for polination and doesn't try to make honey had some swarms this spring. which she hived but then they absconded. so I am beginning to think there must be a more positive way to settle them in, at least long enough for them to start functioning. when I get enough hives I will of course use brood as a tool for this, but right now I am trying to keep what I have, or get. of course I have always been a bit hairbrained anyway.
billiet

Online Michael Bush

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securing a swarm
« Reply #3 on: May 24, 2005, 10:17:52 am »
I often use lemongrass oil in a box to help encorage them to stay.  Sometimes it works.  Sometimes not.  I've killed more bees with a bee vac than anything.  I see no reason to use one with a swarm.  I hardly  ever even use one on cutouts.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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Offline Robo

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securing a swarm
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2005, 09:12:09 pm »
As long as you get the queen when capturing the swarm, put a queen excluder between the bottom board and the brood box until the queen starts laying.  Basically "excluder" her from leaving.  Once she starts laying, they will stay.

Of course, this only works for primary swarms.  After swarms with a virgin queen need to be able to leave to mate.
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Offline drobbins

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securing a swarm
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2005, 03:25:09 pm »
a bit off topic, but you're talking about tempurature
Robo's website has a link to various patents people hold on beekeeping stuff

http://robo.hydroville.com/html/modules.php?name=Script_Depository

one of them descibes a method to kill varroa by blowing hot air thru the hive. 110 degree's is supposed to kill mites without hurting the bee's. Now I know you can patent about any idea and find about anything on the internet, but, most varroa treatment consist of finding something the bee's can tolerate but the mites can't. anybody try this, is it totally bogus? it sure wouldn't be very hard to do

Dave

Offline bill

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securing a swarm
« Reply #6 on: June 07, 2005, 05:45:16 pm »
sounds like you would only need a hair dryer and a thermometer  to find out but I havent got to the point where I know if I have mites or not. they keep brood at 95 I think so it wouldnt take much heat, actually it gets hotter than that here sometimes, I wounder if that haas an effect on them
billiet