Author Topic: Catalpa Tree Trap Out 2013  (Read 3512 times)

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Offline blueblood

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Catalpa Tree Trap Out 2013
« on: December 08, 2013, 02:58:33 pm »
This was the first trap out of 2013 in a Catalpa tree limb.  I have had 4 Catalpa trap outs in the last 2 years.  This trap out started on May 5, 2013 and ended on July 1, 2013.  I was able to pull two colonies from this tree.  Life would have been much easier had I used a full deep versus a nuc though.

Here are some pictures form my first trap out this year. The colony is in a branch of a Catalpa tree 20 feet up. It was a bear to get the box secured and the cone on. I sawed the knot/old branch stub off to help make it more flush to accept the cone base. I would liked to have the nuc a little closer to the cone base but, I did the best with what circumstance were given me.

May 6, 2013 (next day) video:
[youtube:1v2kriez][/youtube:1v2kriez]
« Last Edit: December 08, 2013, 04:33:23 pm by blueblood »

Offline blueblood

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Re: Catalpa Tree Trap Out 2013
« Reply #1 on: December 08, 2013, 03:17:48 pm »
May 10th 2013, I had to change out the box due to the unexpected mass of bees in that tree:

Man-O-Man, were there a ton of bees in that nuc! Arrived early this morning and followed Iddee's advice on switching. I did switch the white nuc out for another. The white nuc was my prototype last year and is a bit tight for some of my older frames. The 24' quality Werner ladder was the ticket, much easier and safer this round. I carried the nuc down slowly. All the bees remained in cluster. I scooped through the cluster hive to tool scoop by hive tool scoop . I did not find the queen in that mess. I was started to check the frames but there were way too many bees. And, frankly, I the bees needed to be contained. They were boiling over like mad. Plus, I started to flip a frame around that just had new foundation in it, and of course, tons of bees, and the foundation started to fall out with the weight of the bees. I guess this is a good lesson for why keeps should be using at lest 8 frame if not 10 when doing these trap-outs. Unless, you are sure it is a smaller colony.

They are in my yard now. I really think they will be candidate for a split already. I am blown away at the quantity! The new nuc with eggs is up there ready to catch the next batch. There were considerable amounts of bees already covering the cone and nuc by the time I left.


 [youtube:3ltxpp60][/youtube:3ltxpp60]
« Last Edit: December 08, 2013, 04:31:14 pm by blueblood »

Offline blueblood

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Re: Catalpa Tree Trap Out 2013
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2013, 03:22:05 pm »
I checked the bees I brought home from the tree for a better look for a queen. There were so many bees, it was still difficult. I did observe what I believe to be a queen cell. It was open on the bottom but it looked sealed about 1/4 inch up. They were covering/working on it. I will have to study up on queen cell development to have a better idea of what I was looking at. Here is a vid of it:

 [youtube:3vv6czdf][/youtube:3vv6czdf]

​Finished up this trapout a week ago. T is the double blue on the right. Was able to pull two colonies from this tree

Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Catalpa Tree Trap Out 2013
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2013, 10:18:04 pm »
Looks like a queen cell to me!  Nicely done!
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