Worldwide Beekeeping
Beekeeping => Swarms, Cut Outs, Trap Outs and Bee Trees => Topic started by: riverbee on May 21, 2014, 07:16:33 pm
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ok all you swarm trappers, catchers and swarm police......errr swarm coppers!....... :D
what's in your go to swarm kit? what do you take with you or keep in your vehicles to capture swarms.....?
mine is pretty meager, i don't like climbing trees or ladders....
sort of like the commercial 'what's in your wallet' or peeking into another fisher's fly box for their essentials and maybe a secret weapon or two....... :D
what's in your swarm kit? share pix and lists of what you use.......! know there are many photos of what all have developed to use, but share them again here......good thread for those starting out and can get some ideas!
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A 10 frame hive, a 5 frame nuc, and lemongrass oil.
AND A NEARLY 70 YEAR OLD TOO DUMB TO STAY OFF LADDERS AND OUT OF TREES.
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....ha! Anyway, nuc with 2-3 frames, lemon grass oil, queen clip, suit/veil/gloves. Oh, and, strap to keep lid on, mesh for front entrance and duct tape or tacs to keep the screen on.
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"AND A NEARLY 70 YEAR OLD TOO DUMB TO STAY OFF LADDERS AND OUT OF TREES."
or cherry pickers iddee......... :D :D :D
dave, couldn't help myself, you bring a new term to swarm catchers........SWARM COPPERS!!!!...... :D
keep the posts coming!
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I have a 5 gallon bucket with some old brood comb melted in the bottom. I used a hole saw to cut 4 or 5 holes in it and hot glued #8 mesh wire over them. Done the same to the lid.
Once they're in the bucket I can pop the lid on and don't have to fret about it coming off on the way home. I had that happen once. It wasn't pretty.
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Thanks for starting this Riverbee. I was thinking the same thoughts the other day when I had no ladder in the pickup; "I wonder what people who actually catch swarms keep on hand".
I've got a 10 frame hive body with some comb, a nuc with some comb. Lemon grass oil, duct tape, 6 ft step ladder, ratchet straps. Still thinking about making a bee vac.
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Use to carry a 10 frame deep and or a Nuc in the back of my truck but now I use a bucket. Like rcannon my first bucket had 3 inch holes with screen covering them but now I just 3 inch circles and use a drill with a small 1/16 bit and drill alot of holes within the drawn circles. I like the bucket lid to be the type with a pour spout rather than a solid lid and no ventalation holes drilled in the top. Once the swarm is shaken or brushed into the bucket and I'm sure the queen is in the bucket I snap the lid on the bucket and remove the cap from the pour spout so the flying bees must enter the spout and then cap the spout when the flyers are in.
When I get a swarm call I ask questions and get photos about the location and decide what other tools might be needed and to weed out wasp.
Got a call to my local Wal Mart for a swarm , jumped in my truck and went over to find about 100 bees forageing their produce dumpster. Explained to them that it was not a swarm but just workers and I could'nt help them.... and oh ya don't mash any bannanas. Jim
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"and oh ya don't mash any bannanas."
.......tooo funnny jim!..... :D
you are welcome pk, was gong through my 'swarm kit' and thought of this for a post.....if you guys saw my organized list and my disorganized equipment, you would all have something to laugh about..... :D
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Well, I have not had any luck with swarm "traps" so I don't do them anymore. However, if you are asking what do I take with me for swarm calls?
I take a rectangle cardboard box (that files came in), duct tape, hood and veil and rubber gloves, 1:1 spray bottle of sugar water with a little honey B healthy in it to keep it from spoiling in my "to go" kit. I also have liquid Dimetapp just in case things "go bad." I have a set of these in my two personal vehicles and I keep one in my company car. If I have time to go home I'll hop in by pick up truck with a ladder in the back. I plan on making a bucket on a pole thingy like Dave "Blue" made.
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Like iddee, but i'm over 70 :D. I also carry some loopers(sp?) to cut branches off and a spray bottle with bee go and water mix,( i have used WD40 ;D) that's to spray on where ever you took them from to kill the pheromone of the queen so they won't keep going back to that spot. With two knee replacements i don't ladders high up, if i can't get it from the ground or pickup bed, i call a club member and let them have it. Jack
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jim, your swarm kit for swarm calls......not swarm traps....
"I also have liquid Dimetapp just in case things "go bad."....... I plan on making a bucket on a pole thingy like Dave "Blue" made."
funny on the "just in case things go bad" i don't carry dimetapp, but liquid benedryl and i was thinking on making one of those pole thingy's too jim........ :D
swarm catcher pole bucket? swarm copper catcher pole bucket.....uhmm dunno? works for me....... :D
jack.....LOOPERS?, nope LOPPERS my friend....... but you can call them loopers...... :D
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I take one of my spare heads ........ the educational one. ;D
Will try the WD40 for the swarm spot. At the moment I'm using air freshner blocks.
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Got a call to my local Wal Mart for a swarm , jumped in my truck and went over to find about 100 bees forageing their produce dumpster. Explained to them that it was not a swarm but just workers and I could'nt help them.... and oh ya don't mash any bannanas. Jim
At the place where people take metal to recycle, they have this huge bin next to the building where the put all the crushed soda cans. There are always tons of bees hanging around. I wonder if that would be a good place for a trap?
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Just about anything with an odor will work, i used WD40 because that's the only thing i had in the truck that left an odor. ;D Jack
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a box with empty frames of comb, spray bottle for sugar water, limb clippers (or a pocket knife if I forget them), ladder, strap for the box. smoker, works to move bees or bee quick if needed.
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I caught this one today with a ladder an 8 frame box with some comb and a hoe.The hoe was to pull the branch down closer to the box before I shook it. I like loppers too but didn't need them this time.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs29.postimg.cc%2F7yr333e7n%2Fswarm_on_the_ground_008.jpg&hash=0d226a28e17b33186035e44523d50b7993250af1) (http://postimg.cc/image/7yr333e7n/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs27.postimg.cc%2F9b22oksov%2Fswarm_on_the_ground_009.jpg&hash=ff40d553e58c31dadb601b656f0dc1c574a5b8be) (http://postimg.cc/image/9b22oksov/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs29.postimg.cc%2Fxmn6ps52r%2Fswarm_on_the_ground_010.jpg&hash=d0e13bec9aa41c8bedcbce350c45e44c8cb2f3ff) (http://postimg.cc/image/xmn6ps52r/)
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wow!!! thanks for the pix jb!!!
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Oh, and wanted to add one more tool that is very useful for a swarm call, anvil pruner.
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Anvil pruner... hrm.. I have never had a need to prune my anvil... ;D What is an Anvil Pruner?
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(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs27.postimg.cc%2Fye2fey0wv%2Fanvil_pruner.jpg&hash=a63b30f23427680e3cf874ba558968f1056ea99d) (http://postimg.cc/image/ye2fey0wv/)
You know, clippers!
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Scott- "Anvil pruner... hrm.. I have never had a need to prune my anvil... What is an Anvil Pruner?
palms on forehead laughing
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Ahhh! OK, never heard them called that before. I have a couple of those for cutting lines and hoses... ;D
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Scott, i was hoping someone would ask, i didn't know what it was either :D. I thought blue was doing what i do to my city nephew, i've sent him after sky hooks, left handed pliers, and two weeks ago i ask him to get me a pair of rubber gloves and when he brought them to me i told him he got me two right handed gloves ;D he went and got me another glove, said he tried it on and it was a left one. ;D He's a good kid and gets a big kick out of it and says your days a coming uncle Jack and your going to be sorry you old fart. :laugh: :laugh:. Jack
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Nice swarm A lot of bees in the air but as long as the queen falls in the box the rest will follow. If not we shake again. Why is it the ladder we have is always 2 feet to short?
Anvil cutters have a single straight blade that cuts against a flat surface, I like pruners that have the curved cutter they will accept larger branches and the branches don't slip out of the cutter when cutting off the branch. But I agree with Dave they are handy in removing the branch with the swarm or branches so you have better access to the swarm for shaking into a box. Far less vibration than trying to cut a branch off with a saw.
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Your right Apis, If I couldn't have a quality sharp pair of cutters I would prefer the prunners.
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yep dave ANVIL pruners........ :D
i like them cuz i usually don't get up on ladders, like the swarms close to the ground, or will use a shorter ladder. me and tall ladders don't mix well, having tipped them over or stranded myself on the roof of my house on a number occasions while my neighbors drive by and wave and wonder what i am doing up on the roof waving frantically at them to stop......
jack, do you know what 'plowers' are?...... ;D
btw, has anyone mentioned a card for call backs or honey sales?
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i resurrected this thread, and 'stickied' the topic at the suggestion of two members. if anyone has missed this thread please feel free to add what you carry with you to collect swarms. ;)
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3 gallon bucket duct taped to a swimmingpool pole, 8 ft, sheet, cardboard box, more duct tape
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Great discussion! Swarms are my favorite topic, and most adventurous memories!
My favorite tools would be
1) Bow Saw- be careful to cut slowly and support the branch as it is being cut... If the branch snaps quickly you will shake a bunch of the bees out of cluster.
2) Ladder
3) Rope to tie onto the branch for lowering the limb to the ground
4) Queen cage to identify her virgin or mated and a safe place to keep her will I bang the bees into their new home
5) Empty swarm box or Nuc with a few drawn out frames
6) Queen excluder in event the Queen is MATED, place between bottom board and hive body ( remove when you inspect after a few days and find that she is laying again- this is a good indication she is locked in to her new surroundings)
7) Good climbing shoes ;D Ive always dreamed of owning some pole spikes LOL
8 ) strap to secure the lid during transportation
9) mesh to block the entrance during transportation
10) CAMERA! Cherish the memories and a job well done... A successful catch is both rewarding and fun to share. Good LUCK!
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thanks lindsay for your input!
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My pleasure Riverbee ;D
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I carry 2 Five gallon buckets with vent windows cut in the sides for ventilation as well as a hole cut in the lid with #8 hardware cloth on it too.
I bump the swarm into the bucket and set it down for about 10 minutes and put the bucket and loose bees in my van.
I also carry a 21 ft extension pole with a 5 gallon water jug attached to the end of it.
An owens bee vac and a 100ft #12 extension cord.
Pruners, saw, 6ft folding ladder, Queen Catcher
I caught 63 swarms last season.
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I carry 2 Five gallon buckets with vent windows cut in the sides for ventilation as well as a hole cut in the lid with #8 hardware cloth on it too.
I bump the swarm into the bucket and set it down for about 10 minutes and put the bucket and loose bees in my van.
I also carry a 21 ft extension pole with a 5 gallon water jug attached to the end of it.
An owens bee vac and a 100ft #12 extension cord.
Pruners, saw, 6ft folding ladder, Queen Catcher
I caught 63 swarms last season.
Am I ever glad you joined us Cappy, with swarm catches like that I think you may get tapped regularly for tips! :eusa_dance:
Welcome to the forum. :welcome:
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Thanks for coming on board, capt.
A friend of mine has a bucket with a queen excluder on the top hole rather than hardware cloth. It allows the stragglers to enter, but the queen can't leave. Then he covers it to transport.
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a proper lid with queen excluder would have come in handy, but I had no suit, nothing for bees, so I bought a sheet set at a dollar store, and a lace sheer curtain to hang over my hat. Bucket duct taped to pool pole
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I never thought about putting a queen excluder in the lid, sounds good on paper.
I just sit my bucket down and all the loose bees come to the bucket.
I then just sit the bucket in my van and take off.
The bees stay with the queen.
Had one Policeman stop me and ask what the sign mean't on the back of my van "Live Honey Bees" I said well I catch bees and move them.
He said are those bees flying out that window, I said yep I got a sign that says Live Honey Bees.
He had a look of terror on his face and said Well have a nice day and left.
All the Police in this area know me.
I think most folks in Searcy see my Van and say Look out here he comes.
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LOL I am going to have to start carrying around a nucs worth of bees! O:-)
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I'm no where near Capt44, but I've lost count of the swarms I got this year. Some I caught---but most just moved into empties--two dead-outs from the winter were repopulated and I've used several others that settled into spare supers to strengthen my existing hives. I don't want to increase my holdings (6 hives) so I just keep uniting newly acquired swarms to strengthen what I have.
The newspaper method always works.
So I guess I should list Newspaper as part of my swarm kit.
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EF, you are passing on some serious pocket change there. A swarm setting on 5 frames of drawn comb for 3 weeks, becoming a strong 5 frame nuc, is selling here for $150.00. You don't even supply the box. They bring their own hive and install the five frames into it.
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I just came in from checking a swarm that moved in on me Yesterday. My wife and I were in Jerusalem for the Sabbath so I didn't discover it till this morning, It's sitting on about seven built frames (3 PM---while a lot of girls are out at work) and her royal highness is parading around like she's in charge of everything.
Had I Known about them, I would have moved them last night, and placed them to sit on the hive I want to strengthen. As it stands now, it looks like I'll have to move them, one step at a time, for about a week, until I get them into position where the two can be merged----unless I get impatient and move them in one step and let my other hives nearby "collect" the girls who can't find their way home.
The more I think about the second option, the better it sounds to me---if I take a week to move them, I'll already have a lot of young brood developing, and that will make for complications with the combining of the hives, reorganizing the frames and eventual extraction of honey.
At present, without any brood to feed, the girls are collecting nectar nicely. The dripping nectar made it a challenge to spot the queen.
In all my years with bees, I've never sold any bees yet, and at this stage of the "game" I don't plan on starting------that is unless someone comes begging to me----highly unlikely.
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Capt44, your system is like mine except I drive a pickup truck, I get the queen in the bucket, the rest of the bees mostly walk in, but I cover with a white sheet and the loose bees do a bit of exploring at traffic lights. My neighbors must love to see me come home with those bees flying behind the truck. So far I have not been pulled over! Sign on my truck says "pond service' the bees are the give away
I never thought about putting a queen excluder in the lid, sounds good on paper.
I just sit my bucket down and all the loose bees come to the bucket.
I then just sit the bucket in my van and take off.
The bees stay with the queen.
.......
I think most folks in Searcy see my Van and say Look out here he comes.
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I have a 5 gallon bucket that I cut a hole in the lid & installed a screen. I have another 5 gallon bucket that I can attach to a telescopic painter's pole ( used for rolling ceilings ) that stretches to 24'. you can bump the swarm from the ground & dump that bucket into the catch bucket. I also bring a couple of cardboard nuc boxes.
for tools I bring a small & large pruner, bow saw, cordless sawzall, a spray bottle filled with a light sugar syrup, queen clip, lemon grass oil, & appropriate ladders. NEVER believe the caller about how high up they are. they are almost always up higher than quoted.
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rober says: " NEVER believe the caller about how high up they are. they are almost always up higher than quoted."
Ef adds: Another NEVER believe the caller is his/her description of how L_A_R_G_E (enormous) the swarm is. From my experience, those who call to tell you aout a swarm usually enlarge it by at least 50%--- more often, by 100-200%.
Even so, I like to go to catch my swarms with a full sized 10 frame deep.
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maybe another gadget to add to your arsenal?
i have seen photos of these, anyone use one?
https://youtu.be/sPyPMkqPdgw
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Hey that's cool! Although you could so the same thing with a regular 5gal bucket.
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Here's my bucket. It works good for me. I can get up to 50ft. I like the twist lids.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs27.postimg.cc%2Fyv8qyqnjz%2F20160304_105956_1.jpg&hash=2ce664f49f295d71c788233035b7e1be43acc4b5) (http://postimg.cc/image/yv8qyqnjz/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs11.postimg.cc%2Fkqg4k9nan%2F20160304_110213_1.jpg&hash=de9a439bce6d4436dbd0c9d03c8a4b7ac351fcf3) (http://postimg.cc/image/kqg4k9nan/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs11.postimg.cc%2Fruxxtaujz%2F20160304_105925_1.jpg&hash=9c468203fb45f6341f3b2685a24d71a5aa1c8f24) (http://postimg.cc/image/ruxxtaujz/)
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Made change on top of leads added queen secluder
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs7.postimg.cc%2Fx642ubrtj%2F20160308_092753_1.jpg&hash=9ced709bebe63dfa0f9622e8b1dc4db7719047a2) (http://postimg.cc/image/x642ubrtj/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs13.postimg.cc%2Fsaaldwucz%2F20160308_092826_1.jpg&hash=47c52e74eeddcc63508dd3bf9814207e98f39880) (http://postimg.cc/image/saaldwucz/)
8)
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Several great ideas above for sure!
Shown below is the 20ft long pipe with a crowbar taped to the end for shaking high branches, (If you look up and to the right of the top of the pipe, you will see the swarm). If you can wait, do this early in the morning while the bees are at their coolest for the day and enough bees will drop to the ground to get things started. In this case, I shook the limb in late afternoon, but many of the bees went back to their branch. The early morning shake did the trick.
Sometimes, when the swarm is 20 ft up in a tree, I will spread an old bed sheet on the ground directly under the hanging swarm to help bees focus on the new home you are offering them. Once they start marching toward the new home, they will all go in.
With bees already on the ground and milling around or marching into the box, several more shakes may be necessary to dislodge bees that return to the branch and the scent left by the queen. Once the queen is on the ground, you have a good chance the bees will hive themselves as shown below. This isn't my idea, I saw JPtheBeeman do this on TV.
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs17.postimg.cc%2Fu89tf5cej%2FP1030581.jpg&hash=71bc09bc1318e6ddc8215010f77b327d6add4956) (http://postimg.cc/image/u89tf5cej/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs10.postimg.cc%2Fjhpv4m34l%2FP1030582.jpg&hash=3277434371fd88995e11b06a65633765a439114f) (http://postimg.cc/image/jhpv4m34l/)
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs10.postimg.cc%2F4uowmy4id%2FP1030584.jpg&hash=feb481a29d337825784c443069b55bc606d23057) (http://postimg.cc/image/4uowmy4id/)
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One word of caution. Lee and JP are both down south. The worst I have ever been mobbed by a swarm was on an upper 40's degree morning. If it is below 60 F., DO NOT shake a swarm, any time of the day. I took over a hundred stings, as my face was so covered I could not see where to run to. I likely would not have been stung any if I had waited until it warmed before breaking their cluster.
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jest finish bee vac tested it with some popcorn work good with that can just air prd bee holder is 17 1/2 tall and 11" tall in a 8 gal bucket
(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs16.postimg.cc%2F47dhx49j5%2F20160308_095039_1.jpg&hash=8528436697a12ba3f578cfd706e6c49578c1ecf9) (http://postimg.cc/image/47dhx49j5/)
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(https://worldwidebeekeeping.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fs7.postimg.cc%2Fdjpqobwo7%2F20160308_095102_1.jpg&hash=32593ddb7beb406ece31f37013d0ecd47154ecd0) (http://postimg.cc/image/djpqobwo7/)
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going to make me a hopper next that will go on a bucket or all the boxes or nooks doing to work like funnel
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One word of caution. Lee and JP are both down south. The worst I have ever been mobbed by a swarm was on an upper 40's degree morning. If it is below 60 F., DO NOT shake a swarm, any time of the day. I took over a hundred stings, as my face was so covered I could not see where to run to. I likely would not have been stung any if I had waited until it warmed before breaking their cluster.
Rightly said, if it is 95 degrees when you shake the branch, they just fly back and rest again near the same spot, that is why I waited for cool morning air...60-70 degrees F. Thanks Iddee, that is an important point. :)
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"if it is 95 degrees when you shake the branch, they just fly back and rest again near the same spot"
lee, just use a little fishers bee quick on the branch and/or surrounding area, they won't fly back on it or wherever you have sprayed a little of the bee quick.... ;)
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"if it is 95 degrees when you shake the branch, they just fly back and rest again near the same spot"
lee, just use a little fishers bee quick on the branch and/or surrounding area, they won't fly back on it or wherever you have sprayed a little of the bee quick.... ;)
Good idea RB, but in that particular case, my arms were too short! :laugh:
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................. :D
okay lee, so a branch a little far from reach?.............. :D
my apologies, maybe we need to figure out how to spray this stuff up high?.......... :D
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""maybe we need to figure out how to spray this stuff up high?""
Nah, just figure out how to stretch Lee's arms. :o ;D
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I got a chain! ;D
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I always wonder how it would be to work on a chain gang. :)