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Author Topic: After setting trap out  (Read 12726 times)

Offline iddee

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After setting trap out
« on: March 09, 2009, 11:08:35 am »
Once the trap is set and all entrances are thought to be closed, I try to spend from 1 to 3 hours with the homeowner. Explaining bees, traps, what they should do and some things that may be a problem. I try to teach them enough that they will check the trap and call me 2 or 3 times weekly. The assistance from the homeowner can vary from nil to doing everything you ask and some have even bought the hive when I finished.

Either by returning myself, or from the homeowner, I want an update on the trap the day after the set up, then once or twice weekly thereafter. I am looking for a mass exodus, where the cone is packed with bees trying to exit all at once, and are getting out, not a blocked cone, or a full day with no bees leaving. If the latter, it means we missed seeing the first. When either happens, I wait 3 or 4 days, then remove the cone. I will explain to the homeowner that they will see many bees returning to the house, but they are only robbing the honey out. Call me when they do not see a be go in the house for a full day. I will then check it myself by observing flight for an hour or more. If the bees are traveling to and from the field, with no action at all in the house entrance, I will seal the entrance and remove the new hive.

If at any time, the catch box has 7 or more frames of caught adult bees, I will remove it and install another, either with a queen cell from the first one, or another frame with eggs. I have gotten as many as 4 hives and a nuc from one trap.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!!!

This will be the last post in my series. I'm sure I have left out many things that need to be said, so I will answer any questions anyone may ask, if it is within my experience. I will also add posts, or modify these, if and when I think of things I have left out.

Beemaster and Bodo, feel free to edit, move, rearrange, combine, or whatever you wish, to make these posts most useful to the forum and it's members.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Zane

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2009, 01:24:33 pm »
I really like the Idee explains things. He's my go to guy when I have questions I just do a search and get my questions answered.
Thanks Idee

Offline SlickMick

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2009, 11:28:18 pm »
Good stuff Iddee.

Being pretty new on this forum, I have missed your previous articles and would like to have a good read of them. Would you please post the links to them all so that I can get up to date

Thanks heaps

Mick

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #3 on: March 10, 2009, 12:08:06 am »
SlickMick, they are all on this page. Just look down the posts. Read in this order.

Why do a trap out

materials for a trap out

set up the trap out
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline JP

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #4 on: March 10, 2009, 12:24:00 am »
Iddee, I printed out your trap out posts and put them in a folder.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #5 on: March 10, 2009, 11:55:03 pm »
JP, I'm sure you are going to discover some of the things I forgot to include. PLEASE, bring them to the forum as they come up.
This is the first time I tried to put it in writing, so I am sure there are large, gaping holes along the way. With your help, maybe I can close some of them.
Thanks
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline JP

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #6 on: March 11, 2009, 12:36:12 am »
Iddee, I really, really appreciate your kindness and generosity on helping others learn the craft of trapping out bees. I appreciate you taking your time to educate and answer any questions, can't really thank you enough. Its a great thing you are doing.


...JP
My Youtube page is titled JPthebeeman with hundreds of educational & entertaining videos.

My website JPthebeeman.com http://jpthebeeman.com

Offline dp

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #7 on: May 28, 2010, 07:53:35 pm »
Maybe I missed something, but what would be the minimum time necessary to do a trap out.  I have a hive near a house that will be sold in a little over a week, so I will need to have the hive out of there by June 8th....is that enough time?

I'm sorry if this has been addressed in this thread and I missed it, but it is a lot of info to digest.

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2010, 08:12:40 pm »
It takes 3 weeks for eggs to become bees. Add a week for her to quit laying, another week for them to begin flying. 5 weeks, bare minimum. 7 to 9 weeks more likely.

The best you can do in 8 days is get most the foragers so the cutout will be easier.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Luckyparrot

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TBH
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2010, 12:01:19 am »
Iddee, I'll do a cut out next week.This time I want to use the TBH. How do I tie the combs to the top bars? Thanks.

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #10 on: May 29, 2010, 12:11:56 am »
Sorry, I do not use tbh. I am strictly Langstroth and foundation. My opinion is tbh are for warmer climates only.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Luckyparrot

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #11 on: May 30, 2010, 12:39:29 pm »
 It's alright. I'll save this tbh for the swarm, if I'm lucky to get one.
 Iddee, if after 5 weeks of setting trapout,  I connect the cone directly into the hive with no exit. In that hive i'll provide them some honey or sugar. Do you think I will catch the queen that way?

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #12 on: May 30, 2010, 12:53:43 pm »
Never tried it, but I think they would find the end of the cone and use it as a normal entrance.

Just an opinion.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline Javin

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2012, 06:03:28 pm »
I know this is eons old, but hopefully someone's still around.

What about building the cone exit with a queen excluder to perhaps force a "swarm" at the end of the cone?

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #14 on: May 21, 2012, 07:23:09 pm »
It is still a "work in progress". Many things are possible. Give it a try and post the results here.
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline capt44

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #15 on: July 22, 2013, 01:02:34 am »
I have used your method of setting up a trap-out and it is working.
I now have 7 trap-outs in progress.
4 on trees and 3 on houses, I have 5 more to set-up.
Thanks for the information.


I am located in North Central Arkansas.
Richard Vardaman (capt44)

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #16 on: July 22, 2013, 08:15:22 am »
 :th_thumbsupup: :th_thumbsupup: :th_thumbsupup:
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline chux

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #17 on: April 29, 2014, 03:17:34 pm »
iddee, I finally have a chance to try a trap out. It's at the base of a large tree, with two easily blocked entrances. Lots of forager activity. I think it is a large colony. The landowner says they have been there at least one year. I wanted to get your opinion on something. Others may have input too. I want to use 5 frame nucs for the trap out. I figure the smaller box will fill with bees faster, and be able to be replaced. The full nuc could be moved to the apiary where the hatching queen could get mated. If I have multiple queen cells, one could be cut out and put in the new nuc with a frame of brood. My thought it, using nucs will let me start more small hives, instead of fewer larger hives.

Do you see drawbacks to using nucs?

Oh, did anybody that talked about using a queen excluder in a trapout to catch the queen, do it successfully?

Thanks so much 

Offline iddee

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #18 on: April 29, 2014, 04:56:01 pm »
I have trapped 5 frames of bees in 3 or 4 days. You will have to check the nucs regularly. Also, I have gotten as high as 45 deep frames of bees from one trapout.  Four 10 frame hives and a 5 frame nuc. Just how many hives do you want?

Never heard of using an excluder. Where is it placed?
"Listen to the mustn'ts, child. Listen to the don'ts. Listen to the shouldn'ts, the impossibles, the won'ts. Listen to the never haves, then listen close to me . . . Anything can happen, child. Anything can be"

*Shel Silverstein*

Offline chux

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Re: After setting trap out
« Reply #19 on: April 29, 2014, 07:15:01 pm »
How many hives do i want? Well, I started keeping bees last year, and started this season with 5 hives. With swarms and one split in the last week, i now have 9 hives if everybody stays home. My 5 year goal when i started was to have at least 30 hives. My desire is to grow steadily. I want a solid supplement for income years from now through honey sales, pollination, bee removal and bee sales. Well, this answer is much longer than what you were probably looking for.

I am doing this trapout with a first year beek who wants to get a couple of hives out of it. I am hoping that there will be enough bees for me to get the third or 4th nuc, since we will use my eggs to raise queens. My main goal in this trapout is really the experience, so i will be able to use the process later.

As for the queen excluder, I saw in other posts that people were suggesting using a queen excluder on the entrance to the hive box, forcing all bees exiting the tree to go through the hive box and a queen excluder. The idea was that the queen would exit the cone and find herself trapped in the hive box. You told folks to try it and report back. Heard anything yet?







« Last Edit: April 29, 2014, 08:03:29 pm by chux »