First swarm in trap

[Bakersdozen]

 
I secured a nuc box on top of an old play fort in the back yard.  I used my Swarm Commander Lure.  I thought I might have a swarm about a week ago, but just bees checking it out.  I applied a second Swarm Commander Lure Friday afternoon.  Monday night it was a hub of activity.  Tonight I climbed up there and peaked in.  I found foragers bringing in pollen and about 4 frames of bees. 
When the weather permits I will move the box down and transfer the swarm to a brood box where I can feed them.  Then the nuc box will go back with fresh Swarm Commander Lure.  The forecast calls for rain off and on for the next 7-8 days.
It's been almost one year since my knee replacement.  Wow!  Look at all the fun I have been missing out on all these years!

[Jen]

Bravo Bakers!  I going to have to get some of that swarm lure, I could have used it this busy last spring. Lemongrass oil didn't seem to attract more than the scouts.

Good news about your knee as well 

[blueblood]

Well done!  Swarm trapping is by far the most fun way to acquire bees.


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[Bakersdozen]

Jen, it smells like lemon grass.  I bought it last year after reading riverbee's post on how well Swarm Commander worked.  So I've had it all fall and winter.  Time to order more.  I believe the package had 4 vials in it and I used too.  Around here, May and June swarms give you enough time to get them ready for winter.

Thanks blueblood.  My one little swarm doesn't compare to your swarm capturing abilities!  My hat is off to you!

[blueblood]

Humbled but I learned all I know from practicing what I learned from all these ole farts here! Ha!


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[brooksbeefarm]

Yep, i know what you mean blueblood, i've learned a lot from iddee, tec, perry,riverbee,river rat, andr both lazy/s, plus other's. Hey B12, are you going to move the swarm trap bees 3 to 5 miles away for a week or two before putting them in your home bee yard? I like to put a frame of brood in with them when i do to keep them there. Feels good to get free bees doesn't it. Jack

[neillsayers]

Had some scout activity on my two traps right before this rain. Fingers crossed!

[Jen]

Hey Jack    I have never moved my hives out of my back yard, swarms nor splits. I simply set them up in my back yard where ever I have room for them. Can you explain why going thru all those extra steps of moving them and then bringing them back has any value? Thanks 

[brooksbeefarm]

Depends how far away you caught the swarm to where you are going to put them? You might get away with it, but like when you want to move a hive in your yard 20 ft. or more it is best to move it 2 ft. at a time to keep from confusing the workers especially this time of year while a flow is on. If you move them to far all at once they will go to where there hive was or drift to other hives in your yard. Some will argue that it doesn't matter, but that's been my experience. Kind of like if perry came home from school ( when groing up) and found his parents had moved and not told him.  Jack

[apisbees]

In making up nuc's splits or divides, you should take into account the drift back to the original colony and shake an extra frame or two into the new colony. If the colony is to be left in the same yard.
Swarms have already abandoned the original colony and are committed to the hive in it's new location. So when a swarm is hived it is generally content to stay in it's new location. In B12's case the swarm has entered the hive trap and in doing so is now set itself up as a colony and is no longer a swarm. The bees have orientated to this new location so moving the colony now requires the practices of moving a colony not those of hiving a captured swarm. Thus the 2 feet or 2 mile rule or forcing the bees to reorientate to their new location.

[Bakersdozen]

Hey B12, are you going to move the swarm trap bees 3 to 5 miles away for a week or two before putting them in your home bee yard? I like to put a frame of brood in with them when i do to keep them there. Feels good to get free bees doesn't it. Jack

Jack, this is a feral colony.  My bees in the backyard are good.  I have Carnolians and Italians here.  They look like Italians.  I like the frame of brood idea.  They have been bringing in pollen.  We moved them at dusk, so I think they should be ok this morning orientating to the new location.  The move was about 50ft.

I put a suit on my leary husband last night and we got the swarm down.   The last thing I wanted was a slip up and someone(husband) to get stung.  That would have soured him for years to come.  This morning I put some sugar syrup on them.  The first opportunity I have, I will move them into a 10 frame brood box with more drawn comb.  The weather is going to have to cooperate first.

[apisbees]

Place a branch as an obstruction for the bees as they leave the hive they will sense that something is different and will orientate to their new location a little more readily.

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks apis.    Will do. 

[Bakersdozen]

I was able to move the new swarm colony to a 10 frame brood box yesterday afternoon.  I raced home from work to beat the rain clouds moving in from the west.  Not the best of fun standing in standing water and mud.  The clouds parted long enough for me to accomplish that and inspect 2 hives before the rain started again.  The queen in the swarm is a big girl and they are bringing in lots of dark orange colored pollen.   

On an interesting note... my husband came home to see me working the bees.  He came out to "check" to see how the the swarm colony and the others were doing.  Hmmmm....someone is starting to take interest in what's happening!   

[apisbees]

The number of stories I could tell of guys getting into beekeeping because of wives\girlfriends hobby. Watch out and keep him in check, He will take over from you.