Author Topic: what kind am i? (Read 18230 times)

apisbees · « **Reply #20 on:** March 11, 2014, 07:19:53 pm »

Go hunting bee trees or some other beekeepers hive. Watch the direction the bees leave to return to their hive. Bees fly straight back to their hive when they have a full honey stomach.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #21 on:** March 11, 2014, 07:59:22 pm »

Robo posted his link so I didn't have to.. You can look at my site too mamaP.
Had a 62 degree day yesterday.. got me ALL fired up about going out and getting stuff done... supposed to snow tonight and tomorrow...

Not spring yet, so you have some time to get ready for those bees you have lured in.
Catching a swarm is like... Winning the lottery.. you cant win if you dont buy a ticket!

Apis;
Go hunting bee trees or some other beekeepers hive. Watch the direction the bees leave to return to their hive. Bees fly straight back to their hive when they have a full honey stomach.

Always a LOT of fun trying to do this! BeeLining.. more fun than shed hunting, almost as much fun as Mushroom hunting!

Slowmodem · « **Reply #22 on:** March 11, 2014, 08:19:04 pm »

Quote from: mamapoppybee on March 11, 2014, 06:15:21 pm

now how to get these freebees?

My two favorite words are "FREE BEES" !

You can buy a swarm trap or you can make your own. You can buy bait, or you can make your own.

I caught a swarm last year in a "flower pot" swarm trap. I had a cotton ball with a couple of drops of lemon grass oil on it as bait. You can read about it here.

You can also find a swarm out looking for a home. When people learn you're a beekeeper, they may call you if they see a swarm. I got one at work once. You can read about it here.

Swarms are comb building machines. They gorge themselves with food and stuff to make wax before they leave, so they're ready to build a house when they find a suitable spot.

This year I am going to set out an empty hive with frames and comb and hopefully lure a swarm into it.

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #23 on:** March 11, 2014, 08:54:25 pm »

this is one of those what if questions so here gose what if i used my empty hive and placed it near the area i am feeding? No lemon grass oil yet think i may have some jasmine though? how well wold this work. Trying to use what i have on hand. an i know cuss me if its a bad idea.

robo · « **Reply #24 on:** March 11, 2014, 09:04:41 pm »

If you are in swarm season already, I would forgo the jasmine (never heard of it as a swarm lure) and put your feeder right inside your empty hive.

Rob...

Slowmodem · « **Reply #25 on:** March 11, 2014, 09:48:12 pm »

Go to a health food store or Amazon and get a little bit of lemon grass oil. It will last forever. You only need a few drops on a cottonball. Put it in the hive.

Build it and they will come. (if there are other bees in your area)

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #26 on:** March 12, 2014, 07:46:10 am »

amazon it will be for they closed the only health food store this area had, guess they couldn't get community to support. The hard part of small business. i will post further progress.

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #27 on:** March 12, 2014, 11:02:44 am »

ok so lets say im trying to bait them into the current hive i have and have placed feed into the top super. I have frames that use rite cell, would that be similar to the comb strategy? Back to the feed, should i leave the cover off till they find it then cover up once i see them there to kinda push them towards the frames? Sorry just so much starting to flow through my mind now.

robo · « **Reply #28 on:** March 12, 2014, 11:59:33 am »

I would put the feeder in the bottom right on the bottom board and an empty hive body around it. on top of that I would put a 2nd deep with 10 rite cell frames and then the covers. The feeder is the attractant, 2 deeps is a good size cavity for them and the frames will guide them when they start building comb so you don't have to do a "cut-out" and waste their effort.

Jen · « **Reply #29 on:** March 12, 2014, 01:14:25 pm »

Mama ""Sorry just so much starting to flow through my mind now.""

Hi Mama, Never worry about asking these people too many questions! even over and over! They are the most patient mentors and teachers that I have encountered on the net. This Forum Rocks!

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #30 on:** March 13, 2014, 01:01:58 pm »

this was the hive this morning about 8 am

and here is the hive this after noon. Hoping they soon consider moving day!

Jen · « **Reply #31 on:** March 13, 2014, 02:00:40 pm »

Robo ""I think cavity size and baiting with old comb are most important, all the rest is minor. I know old comb is always a challenge for new beekeepers""

Had my 5 year old granddaughter, Wren, visit last weekend. I had the two old comb frames laying out on the farm table. We came in the front door and I got busy with something.. came back into the dining room and she jumped on those frames and was squishing the old comb like it was playdoh. I was thrilled that she was asking questions about it and not at all squeemish about the feel and texture. She loves my bees! However, this was the only old comb I had. Oh Well! I'll see if I can round up another couple of frames this weekend. Supposed to be 65

barry42001 · « **Reply #32 on:** March 13, 2014, 02:09:05 pm »

it looks like taking these pictures at quite some distance away, I know cell phones don't take the best quality photo. but you could get closer and get a much better picture. dan slightly off to the front so you're not directly blocking the front of the hive and you can get fairly close without bothering them at all. they're worried about whatever's going on inside not what you're doing outside providing you're not directly bother them.
I suspect is bees just stealing syrup. but that's the way to get them interested. Good job

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LazyBkpr · « **Reply #33 on:** March 13, 2014, 02:44:10 pm »

Very encouraging MommaP! Get them into your gingerbread house with sweets!!!

Jen.. Doesnt matter if those combs are beat up a little.. you could even cut out the beat up parts as long as there was still some decent comb left to give the box that lived in smell.
I have VERY thoroughly scraped down cut out sites in walls, Blocked the entrance they were using, and had to come back the next year for another removal because another swarm found a different way in.

barry42001 · « **Reply #34 on:** March 13, 2014, 06:22:43 pm »

Hey lazy, a very old beekeeper gave me shallow extracting supers that were really beat up were like 45 years old, but the foundation was imprinted on aluminum ...never seen it before haven't seen it since..

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LazyBkpr · « **Reply #35 on:** March 13, 2014, 08:08:50 pm »

Aluminum? I've never seen that one, nor heard about it.. Does the aluminum have cells imprinted on it?

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #36 on:** March 15, 2014, 10:52:17 am »

lemon grass cotton balls along with more syrup and just waiting on nature now.

Jen · « **Reply #37 on:** March 15, 2014, 03:37:20 pm »

Good thread here! Mama's got me all inspired to get a swarm box out. Hubbies working on the mediums, I'm wiring the wax ~ So Much Fun!

mamapoppybee · « **Reply #38 on:** March 17, 2014, 11:01:28 am »

so when baiting with lemon grass cotton ball do you all just throw them in the bottom supper or do you place them between frames in the hive?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #39 on:** March 17, 2014, 06:44:37 pm »

I personally think a cotton ball would be too much scent.. When I don't have commercial lute, I put a drop on a Que tip and rub around the inside rim of the hive gently.. I dispose of the Que tip, but I have heard of some that leave them laying on the top bars.
Normally I use commercial swarm lure, with just a small rub of Que tip/ lemon grass inside above the entrance..

The commercial pheromone is in a small plastic vial, inside an envelope.. the bees can smell it, and are drawn to it without opening it. Scent is one of their major senses, like our eyes are to us, so I try not to overdo it.