Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: jb63 on July 27, 2019, 03:37:21 pm

Title: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 27, 2019, 03:37:21 pm
 
(https://i.ibb.co/HVsN7Cm/20190727-122249.jpg) (https://ibb.co/HVsN7Cm)
It's pretty simple. Set up a rober box with syrup in it. A few days later add the cone shaped screen and a frame of eggs.Let the bees make a new queen. The end.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: Bakersdozen on July 27, 2019, 10:10:18 pm
Do the older foragers take care of eggs, larvae, and capped brood as well as nurse bees?
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 28, 2019, 09:21:27 am
I think so Dozen, I'll let you know how it turns out.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: Bakersdozen on July 28, 2019, 10:04:21 am
This is in the experimental stage? Will the foraging aka robbing bees realize their circumstances in time to rear a queen from a new, appropriate age egg?
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 28, 2019, 01:29:54 pm
Yes, it's a experiment. And that's a good question about them finding out about their queenless situation. We shall see.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: iddee on July 28, 2019, 01:47:00 pm
First, I would use a plexiglas inner lid to see how many bees were in it without allowing them to escape.

Second, I would insert a frame of eggs and a frame of capped brood to care for the queen cell and new larva.

Third, I would move them a few miles before removing the cone and allowing them to fly.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 28, 2019, 05:29:37 pm
Thx Iddee. I got two out of three right. The plexiglass is the one I missed out on. When I moved them there was only about 50 bees in there. It didn't help that there was a pencil size hole in the corner of the box.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 28, 2019, 05:33:15 pm

(https://i.ibb.co/tZvFw5m/20190728-133150.jpg) (https://ibb.co/tZvFw5m)

(https://i.ibb.co/0jYyHr6/20190728-131428.jpg) (https://ibb.co/0jYyHr6)
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: neillsayers on July 29, 2019, 12:51:29 am
The concept sounds resonable to me. Essentially you are doing a trap-in as opposed to a trap-out. Iddee is the past master of trap-outs so I would listen to his advice.  :)
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on July 31, 2019, 12:21:18 am

(https://i.ibb.co/b7DrhLj/20190730-203009.jpg) (https://ibb.co/b7DrhLj)
Here it is with the plexiglass. There are enough to cover the brood. I'll take a pic tomorrow afternoon and see what the population is like.
Title: Re: Robber bee trap in
Post by: jb63 on August 20, 2019, 01:27:53 am
So the Plexiglas inner cover is key, also I used a frame feeder and that was a mistake . I'm out of time for this year but maybe next year I will try it again. It seems like an easy way to make a queen-less hive.