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Author Topic: Sona tube success  (Read 5797 times)

Offline danno

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Sona tube success
« on: June 03, 2009, 11:12:51 am »
Its getting late in the day but they are bringing in pollen


Offline Robo

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #1 on: June 03, 2009, 11:16:12 am »
Nice..

Like the landing shelf.  Is that a knot-hole entrance?
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Offline Bee Happy

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #2 on: June 03, 2009, 11:49:17 am »
why are they called sona tubes?
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Offline Robo

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #3 on: June 03, 2009, 12:08:44 pm »
why are they called sona tubes?

Company that makes them.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #4 on: June 03, 2009, 12:33:55 pm »
Yes Rob it is a knot hole in a old pc of barn board.  I make these up ahead of time with 3 old frames and cover the enterance with wire to keep the mice out before i get the chance to hang them.  Then when I get them up I just pop the top staple and bend it over.   These are really working well this year.  I have 7 of them up.   This one and one other have caught  swarms and the other 5 have scout bees looking them over.  
« Last Edit: June 03, 2009, 01:27:22 pm by danno »

Offline Cindi

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #5 on: June 04, 2009, 12:55:44 am »
Hey, Dan, wow, isn't that really cool!!!  I am proud of you, smiling.  You are really getting deep into the beekeeping, good.  I know that Rob had some really good advice on how to build these, yay!!!  Hope things are going well in all the other areas of your endeavours too.  Have a great and most wonderful day, lovin' and livin' our life, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #6 on: June 04, 2009, 10:03:54 am »
Thanks Cindi
I think I have 2 more swarms in 2 other traps and 5 being scouted.  I hived one last night.  The trap in this thread is still in my woods and I will leave it along for another week. If I let the queen start laying they dont leave.  My count is getting close to 30 right now.  I'm going to do another mite treatment this weekend and one next week then start supering.  The flow is going strong but its been so windy.

Offline Cindi

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #7 on: June 04, 2009, 10:32:02 am »
Dan, welcomes.  Do you have a main flow?  What is it?  We are about a month late again with our blackberry flow, that is our main one.  Even my Bridal veil X Bumaldii is three weeks late, these have been two very strange past years.  THis Bridal veil is pink and extremely fragrant and the bees love it, but the buds are only just beginning to open now.  Good, your mites are well under control, you have strong colonies, good.  I can't believe how many ding dang swarms you are catching, that is freakin' me out, smiling.  But good.  Beautiful days, love and live, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #8 on: June 04, 2009, 10:59:06 am »
Dan, welcomes.  Do you have a main flow?  What is it?   Cindi
Yes we have autumn olive going right now.  Its a relative of Russian olive I think.  The whole county reeks of it.  Black Locust should be going very soon.  I spent the weekend in Winsor Ontario and Locust is almost over by them.  Then we have Basswood and then thistle and then goldenrod with a bunch mixed in in the middle

Offline skflyfish

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #9 on: June 04, 2009, 09:58:45 pm »
Black Locust should be going very soon.  I spent the weekend in Winsor Ontario and Locust is almost over by them.  Then we have Basswood and then thistle and then goldenrod with a bunch mixed in in the middle

I had to go to Detroit on Monday and starting in Grand Rapids, the Black Locust were in full bloom, and all the way to Detroit. I just looked at some in our area and they are just starting here, so soon for you Danno. The trees locally are full of blooms too. Boy if the Black Locust and Basswood are like everything else, there will be a good flow this year, eh.

Jay

Offline troutstalker2

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #10 on: June 04, 2009, 10:42:41 pm »


  I made one just for fun, didn't expect much. A sprinkle of lemon grass oil and had a swarm came 3 days after putting it up. Beginners luck I guess.

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #11 on: June 05, 2009, 08:46:40 am »
Jay
I only wish we had Locust like they do over there.  Wasn't that amasing?  Whole woodlots that looked like it had snowed.  We have it but not like that.

troutstalker2
Its not beginners luck if you use lemon grass and old comb.  I so much like them coming to me better than having to chase them and I set all my traps about 5 ft off the ground.   NO ladders with trapping for me.   I will catch at least a doz. this year.   

Offline troutstalker2

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #12 on: June 05, 2009, 12:33:50 pm »


  Danno

  Do you believe they are mostly swarms from your hives or someplace else?

David

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #13 on: June 05, 2009, 01:53:09 pm »
I know they are not from my colonies.  I mark all my queens and have never caught one that has been marked.  I set a couple of traps back in my wood just in case and catch bee's there but have never trapped a marked queen.  I spead the traps out.  I have 4 locations.  One location  is about 10 miles away.  I have 2 there and just this morning I checked them and one had a swarm.  Both have bee's going in and out but one has pollen coming in.  Right now I have 8 traps hanging and 4 have swarms.  Maybe Sunday I will emty and reset them.  I like to give the queens time to start laying.   

Offline skflyfish

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #14 on: June 05, 2009, 02:04:34 pm »
Are your Sona tubes near any large orchards? I know the pro beeks were pulling their hives two weeks ago, so they could spray. I got my first swarm from an orchard near Hart/Mears on May 26. (The pro beek offered it to me, cause it wasn't worth his time to travel 150 miles round trip for one swarm. What is one, when you have 1300!)

Offline troutstalker2

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #15 on: June 05, 2009, 02:14:47 pm »

  I am going to have more of these for next swarm season. Its like fishing. The one I had was in my back yard, I'll find some more locations.

David

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #16 on: June 05, 2009, 02:48:49 pm »
Are your Sona tubes near any large orchards? I know the pro beeks were pulling their hives two weeks ago, so they could spray. I got my first swarm from an orchard near Hart/Mears on May 26. (The pro beek offered it to me, cause it wasn't worth his time to travel 150 miles round trip for one swarm. What is one, when you have 1300!)

One location is near the fruit crops but most bee's have been pulled out of them by now.  I assume alot of these are feral from swarms in years past.  I have 3 feral hives that I know of within a mile of my home.  One location is near a bee yard on a friends property.   I set traps there for that reason.  I have caught 2 there so far.  Setting close to someones yard has to increase odds but I have to say that old comb and lemon grass seem to find scout bee's in places that you seldom see a  honey bee

Offline Cindi

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #17 on: June 06, 2009, 12:15:48 pm »
Dan, why were you in London, Ontario?  I would imagine that it is probably just north of your location?  Sorry, I am that nosey gal, you know that, but curiosity NEVER got this cat, smiling....beautiful days, loving and living them as there narry was another day, health.  Cindi
There are strange things done in the midnight sun by the men who moil for gold.  The Arctic trails have their secret tales that would make your blood run cold.  The Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see, what the night on the marge of Lake Lebarge, I cremated Sam McGee.  Robert Service

Offline danno

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Re: Sona tube success
« Reply #18 on: June 08, 2009, 09:05:48 am »
Dan, why were you in London, Ontario?  I would imagine that it is probably just north of your location?  Sorry, I am that nosey gal, you know that, but curiosity NEVER got this cat, smiling....beautiful days, loving and living them as there narry was another day, health.  Cindi

Cindi,
My wife hijacks me about once every month or two.   If were at home we work so we have to leave to rest.  That area of Ontario is actually south a bit and about 4 hrs east.  We just went over to hang out and do wine and whisky tours