Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: tedh on June 01, 2022, 08:56:43 am
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Hey Everyone,
I hung a swarm trap this past weekend and it appears that a swarm has moved in. There was a nice cluster/beard (approx 3lbs) hanging on the bottom of the trap a few days ago. I knocked them into a box thinking if it was a queenlees beard they'd head back to the trap and if it was a queen right cluster they'd stay put. They've been in their new box for 3 days now. This morning there was a huge cluster/beard (approx 5lbs) hanging there on the bottom of the trap. I've knocked them in to a new box thinking as I did above, they'll stay or go back. I have no idea what's happening. I plan to check the first box later today to check for a queen or signs of a queen, that should tell me something. also I'll keep an eye on todays box to see what happens there. I'd like to check the trap but wanted to wait until they get moved as it will be rather involved, take it down, unscrew lid, blah blah blah. And its not my trap. A friend put it there as we were hoping to catch a cluster that's out of reach. The question I have right now is: I'm right, right? If its a queenless beard they'll go back to the trap, if its a queen right cluster they'll stay put. Right? Ted
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YEP!!!! Unless you put eggs in the box, then some of em will stay and some will go.
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None are leaving, 2 empty drawn frames, 1 or 2 frames of honey (I cant remember right now, been a long day) and the rest were undrawn foundation. Thats how both boxes were set up. No brood, no eggs. I wonder if I knocked them into boxes before they had orientaion flights. I'm grasping at straws. I've gotten into the habit of putting a queen excluder on top of the bottom board when catching clusters out of trees to prevent absconding but if there are queens in the new boxes they're probably virgin so I'll remove them. I'm thinking out loud now so should probably sign off. Ted
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Hahaha, Ted I have never stopped thinking out loud with bees. Hubby knows when I'm pacing the back yard that I'm problem solving.
'If I do this.. then this will happen' ... maybe
'I think I'll do this, that will help them stay put' ... maybe
'I'll add some of this, that will appease them for awhile' ... maybe
'I'll give them some syrup' ... maybe
'I don't have to suit up today, this colony is soo peaceful' ... maybe
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Right!!!?
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Hahaha, Ted I have never stopped thinking out loud with bees. Hubby knows when I'm pacing the back yard that I'm problem solving.
'If I do this.. then this will happen' ... maybe
'I think I'll do this, that will help them stay put' ... maybe
'I'll add some of this, that will appease them for awhile' ... maybe
'I'll give them some syrup' ... maybe
'I don't have to suit up today, this colony is soo peaceful' ... maybe
I am totally like this, except I talk TO the bees. I'm like "Do you guys need this, or maybe this would be better for you? I think we should do this, what do you say?" The other day I was up with the hives, and my parents were working on the compost pile down the hill, and my dad asked my mom, "Who is she talking to up there?" and my mom was like, "Oh she's just talking to her bees again." :D
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'And if I don't do anything... They will all be dead by the end of the day' ... maybe
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'And if I don't do anything... They will all be dead by the end of the day' ... maybe
And of course there are all the old timers that tell you that more bees are killed by OVER care than UNDER care.
"Perfection in beekeeping is not found in a multiplicity of appliances, but in simplicity and the elimination of everything not absolutely essential." -- Brother Adam
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Theres been a cluster/beard about the size of a cantaloupe hanging on the bottom of the swarm trap for the last couple days. Its been in the upper 50's the last two mornings. Why would they beard at 58°F? Im going to inspect all three boxes later today and try to make a decision for moving forward. Ted
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Let us know what you find Ted ;)
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I didnt see a queen or signs of a queen in two of the boxes so i added a frame of brood with eggs in each of those. I knocked the cluster/ beard into a bucket and dumped them on the ground in front of one box and they marched right in. Stil haven't checked the trap itself, we'll do that today or tomorrow. If the 2 start building queen cells I'll order queens, kill the cells and install the mated queens. Ill be glad to have this situation stop perplexing me. Ted
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Hi Ted, I often wonder why humans won't let the bees build their own queen, when it's perfectly natural for them to do that. Especially in the spring when there is plenty of time for the bees to do that?
Totally understand purchasing mated queens in late summer tho.
Not a criticism Ted. Just wondering the reason behind that choice?
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I'm not Ted, but I'll throw my 2 cents worth in here. If from swarm or supercedure cells, I agree with you.
Since mass produced and emergency cells are similar, the 3 to 4 weeks laying time makes the difference, even in early spring.
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As iddee pointed out, in this circiumstance its a time thing. Ted
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Jen, in my queen flying radius I seem to have hot drones in the DCA's.
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Hi Rast, I'm up in years and don't remember what DCA means. Somehow when we turn 60, or earlier, acronyms don't compute in our cranium nerves anymore. HA!
DCA might mean 'Drone Community Association'? :laugh:
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Drone congregation area, better known as
SINGLES BAR
:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
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The swarm trap was taken down last evening, there was only a few bees in it. The cluster on the bottom of the trap was shaken out in front of the hives. There's still a handful of bees clustered on the tree where the swarm trap was and I'll drop them in front of the hives tomorrow morning. Then I'll check for queen cells. It'll be interesting to see what I find. It's almost like I caught a swarm a little at a time, a slow motion capture. We'll see. Ted
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May I ask what he used as a lure in the swarm trap?
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Hey lazy! Swarm commander. Smells like lemon grass oil to me.
Just checked both boxes, there's an active queen in one and loaded queen cups in the other. I killed the queen cups and did a newspaper combine. It must have been a cluster the whole time, they just chose the bottom of the swarm trap to cluster on, I think. Ted
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first Karma Giveaway, now this - You should add lucky to your name tedh.
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You should add lucky to your name tedh
Right??????
Cool i have some swarm commander, I do know it works....
Going to go through hives today, I have one thats very massive that needs split up before they swarm... and then I'll run some OA through them all.... Wish me Ted's luck!!!!
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You got it buddy!