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Author Topic: building swarm traps  (Read 28173 times)

Offline JP

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Re: building swarm traps
« Reply #40 on: June 21, 2008, 08:30:08 am »
That old dark comb that you throw out is perhaps the best swarm lure of all, can put a lil lemongrass for good measure.


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Offline MollySuesHoney

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Re: building swarm traps
« Reply #41 on: June 21, 2008, 09:37:28 am »
Aw, come on JP, you're letting out all the secrets.

Off Topic:  BTW, I pulled out around 100 pounds of that old black stuff yesterday, about 150 pounds of new white stuff, and about six pounds of bees.  Those girls had swarmed themselves down real small.  I have two more calls in the same neighborhood.  Want to make odds on the genetic line of these girls?
Lawrence Underwood

Mobile, Alabama

Offline JP

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Re: building swarm traps
« Reply #42 on: June 21, 2008, 12:58:20 pm »
Aw, come on JP, you're letting out all the secrets.

Off Topic:  BTW, I pulled out around 100 pounds of that old black stuff yesterday, about 150 pounds of new white stuff, and about six pounds of bees.  Those girls had swarmed themselves down real small.  I have two more calls in the same neighborhood.  Want to make odds on the genetic line of these girls?

Its no secret, try putting some of that old black comb in a bait hive in your beeyard and see how the bees check it out, you'll probably get a swarm to move right in, maybe yours, or a feral one, but they like the dark goods for sure, like totally, like I turned valley right there, whoa, that was scary! ;)

Yeah, that one hive was probably supplying the entire area with bees.


...JP
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Offline Robo

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Re: building swarm traps
« Reply #43 on: April 13, 2009, 12:08:03 pm »
I've been getting a lot of requests for more details on the sonatube swarm trap.  So here are a few more pictures and comments.

Here is one after bringing it home.  This particular swarm was in the trap for about a month.  The cardboard became soft from the moisture and the bees had chewed a hole in the sonatube below the entrance.   It did not get soft from the weather (outside was sealed) but from the moisture inside the hive.





Since the frames had shifted to one side, the bess had built comb on the cardboard, and the trap was toast anyway, I decided the best method to get them out was cut open the sonatube.



One interesting thing, was that although I had sprayed the frames with Bt and the swarm was strong,  there was wax moth larvae living in the debris on the bottom.  You can also see where the bees where chewing the cardboard.



So my take on the sonatube traps are unless you are very timely with your inspection and remove them quickly, consider them a 1 use trap.

I have come up with a more economical ($2-3), hopefully more durable, and perhaps better,  design but don't have it documented well enough to share at this point. ;)

rob....
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Offline danno

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Re: building swarm traps
« Reply #44 on: April 13, 2009, 01:57:50 pm »
Mine got soft last year also.  I left the swarms in them for a extra week so they would start raising brood.  This year I am going to try painting the inside with wax.  I have a few hundred plastic frames to paint so the wax will be hot.  Even if they are one time use the ends can be reused.  Thats where most of the construction labor is

 

anything