Trap Out in Baton, North Carolina

[joebrown]

I started this trap out in Baton, NC. Special Thanks to Iddee for all the education. Wished I could have gotten the hive closer to the funnel but that was not possible due to the position of the entrances and the vinyl siding.



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[AllenF]

Good looking pics. 

[schawee]

nice,keep us posted on the progress of your trapout.     ....schawee

[joebrown]

This is my first trap out personally! I went to check on them this afternoon after it rained. There were a lot of bees in the funnel but not a lot out and about like this morning when I set it up. I guess they are in the hive. We will see in a few days. The funnel is clear of obstructions. I am sure they will make their way out soon enough. I will keep you posted.

[G3farms]

Just curious, but looks like you have the deep box screwed to a piece of 3/4" plywood and maybe a robber screen on the front.

What kind of entrance are you using?

Looks good from here!

[joebrown]

That is just the bottom of my hive. I screwed the hive to the two gray brackets that I bolted to the wall. The old man that I buy hives from uses 3/4" bottoms that are nailed to the hive body. I typically cut a hole in the bottom and add a screen but I have not had time to get to this one. I make mine the same way. The only downside is that you cannot flip boxes during the spring, but I just swap frames if need be.

As for the screen, I had a frames of eggs, pollen, and honey along with a lot of nurse bees in that hive that I did not want to escape during my trip to this trap out and during the set up. I had them screened in. I make my own screens from scrap wood and screen. I took the screen off once I secured the hive to the gray shelving brackets.

[Tommyt]

Great looking trap-out
Iddee I think should give you a
"Dadda boy" on the looks of it
caulking and all :-D

Thanks the pictures

Tommyt

[iddee]

I can do that, Tommy, with just one small catch. It would be good if the two brackets and the box were 6 inches to the left. Other than that, it all looks picture perfect.

[joebrown]

It would be good if the two brackets and the box were 6 inches to the left.

I agree. That will definitely be kept in mind next time. I did place a small plank that attaches to the bottom board and goes to the base of the funnel. So they can get to the hive, but they have to "Walk the Plank" :-D

[joebrown]

I went to check the trap out this afternoon. There are still plenty of bees on the wall, on and in the funnel, and around the base of the funnel. The only thing concerning that I saw was a group of bees hanging off the end of the funnel. There were about 10 or so bees hanging from the tip. Since they are hanging I am assuming they have not figured out how to get back inside. Is this normal? Every video and picture I see on here has a small amount of bees around the base of the funnel. However, in my situation I have a bunch of bees inside and outside the funnel as well as on the wall and in the air. Maybe this is just a huge hive. I will try to head back in the morning to check the funnel for obstructions and I may need to tighten the hole up a little. I may also try to look inside the hive to check for queen cells and see if there is an increase in bee population.

[G3farms]

Very doubtful you will find queen cells yet, I would give it a couple of more days.

Of all of the trap outs I have done I have never had any hanging onto the tip of the cone. Like you said might need to tighten up the hole a little, needs to be big enough for two drones to get out. The first couple of days will be the most active for sure and then things will settle down a bit.

[joebrown]

Oh, it is definitely to early for queen cells. It has only been 36 hours since I set it up, but being the first I really do not know what to expect. I have learned a lot already to say the least.

[iddee]

Check the cone, look in the entrance. Count the frames you can see bees on the bottom of. Wait and check inside the box for bees and cells on the 5, 6, 7, or 8th day the trap is there. The first 2 or 3 days, you may see anything. After 3 days, things should settle down to a pattern.

[joebrown]

Thanks Iddee! I will do that in the morning. I will try to take the camera along as well.

[joebrown]

A couple of pictures. The first two are from Saturday Morning. The last is from earlier today 07/11/2011. Things have definitely settled down and I believe the bees are taking to their hive nicely. I may need to switch them out before long!



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[AllenF]

I like the walk board to the hive.

[joebrown]

Swapped out the hive in the trap out on Thursday. Lots of bees in there. Probably a good 6 frames worth. Most importantly, there are 12 queen cells on my frame of eggs! Not bad for 7 days! We will see how many more I can get out of that wall. My queen cells from my first batch of reared queens should be capped tomorrow. May get to check those and post pictures soon. Lots of new adventures in my beekeeping world!

[iddee]

Now you can cut out 10 of those cells and make up 5 nucs or so, if you want that many hives.

Good job. Keep us posted.

[joebrown]

Wrapped up the trap out today. I went to check on the new hive this morning. When I placed it, the hive had a frame of pollen and honey as well as a frames of eggs and small larva and some capped brood. The hive had obviously been robbed blind. There were dead bees all over the bottom of the hive and the ground below. No honey, no pollen, no eggs, no larva, minimal capped brood, maybe a hand full of bees, and plenty of wax moth larva. Needless to say, it smelled really nice! There was very little activity and I believe what bees lived through the robbing probably just absconded the hive when the wax moths invaded. Either way, I learned a lot and I got a nice hive of bees to boot. I checked them as well today. The queen has hatched but not laying yet. They have drawn out almost half the hive and they are bringing in honey from somewhere. I am impressed.

Maybe next time I will use a nuc instead of a full size hive when I change out the hives. The full size hive was nice at first because of all the foragers, but when I switched the activity had slowed and the full size hive may have been to much for the bees to protect. Just a thought!