Author Topic: Swarm box (Read 6293 times)

Mikey N.C. · « **on:** February 28, 2017, 06:11:09 pm »

Built a swarm box , set it up on a vacant mobile home . The marker light should give ya time period. Put 3 dark brood frames , lemon grass oil in straw . set old feeder next to it bees galore is it because of feeder.?

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #1 on:** February 28, 2017, 07:12:11 pm »

Thought i shown pics.

Perry · « **Reply #2 on:** February 28, 2017, 07:16:37 pm »

Never heard of a feeder next to a swarm box?

G3farms · « **Reply #3 on:** February 28, 2017, 07:21:20 pm »

I like the feeder idea, gets bees coming and going and maybe a scout will remember there is a vacant house near by for rent!

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #4 on:** February 28, 2017, 07:33:45 pm »

10-4 G3,
Thinking i'll let em drink 1st jar an not give anymore.

riverbee · « **Reply #5 on:** March 07, 2017, 11:31:23 pm »

mikey, wondering about this with the feeder jar next to your swarm box? anything?

Bakersdozen · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2017, 03:48:32 am »

Looks like you have some Looky Loo's! You could always keep the jar will with plain water. Any swarm moving into the bait hive might need a close water source up on that hot roof.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2017, 09:25:14 am »

Yes they emptied jar in 3 days

CBT · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2017, 09:15:02 pm »

Looks good and a good paint job to boot.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #9 on:** March 26, 2017, 05:34:22 pm »

Set up raddie 10 next to nuc. 2 weeks ago had cold nights bees stopped coming after they used it up. So came home Thursday and put board man feeder back up with sugarwater no bees on Friday, Saturday, went out this morning and shook feeder around started leaking. You can see it. Went outside. 30 minutes ago bees are fighting at entrance and i have no bees.
What do ya'll think ?

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #10 on:** March 26, 2017, 06:36:21 pm »

Pic 3 has bees fighting in front of 10 ? 2 or 3 dead bees at entrance of both swarm boxes ?

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #11 on:** March 26, 2017, 08:20:38 pm »

So does this solidifiy my belief. That I've had robber's every since i tried to create a bee yard ?
If i can attract 500 hundred bees with no bee hives. That only tells that my robbing situation last year was true right ?

Green bee · « **Reply #12 on:** March 26, 2017, 08:40:26 pm »

Mikey I have had bees investigating my swarm box for several days now. With the warmer temps I checked it yesterday and had a lot of bees flying in and out of the box. I know they haven't made it home yet. So I decided to try what you did with the feeder. In an hours time there was hundreds of bees and a lot in the feeder. They consumed 1/2 quart of syrup in about 6 hours. And I still had bees flying in and out of the trap. I don't know if adding the feeder was a good idea or not but it sure increased the amount of bees at the trap. Keep in mind the closest hive I know of is a mile away and it's certainly possible that there is some feral colony's in the immediate area. I was wondering how it was working for you.

Green bee · « **Reply #13 on:** March 26, 2017, 08:59:11 pm »

I have watched this trap (it's in my back yard) daily since I put it up if for nothing else just to try to learn some of there habits. First activity I seen was just one or two bees investigating the box. Within a few days I noticed an uptick in activity and there was a few dozen bees flying in and around the trap. So I started to sit and watch them. What I noticed was as the bees would leave they would fly in circles and then fly off to the south. A lot of times the bees would leave the box and fly upward and circle the tree all the way to the top then fly off. Just thought I'd share what I seen and get yalls thoughts. It looks like what I've read about there habits of looking for a new location. Just not sure yet. Anyway I am not try to hijck the thread mikey it's just I think it may be possible that I to may be in a similar situation as you and wonder if these could be bees robbing as I do have some comb in the trap and the activity really increased drastically when I added the feeder.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #14 on:** March 26, 2017, 09:37:03 pm »

GB, don't get me wrong , it's a good possibility they could have had a varroa stressed situation, last yr. i used 2" strips of foundation in top brood chamber , wooden frames. They built drone cells like crazy. Have since wondered if that caused a higher Mite count

Green bee · « **Reply #15 on:** March 26, 2017, 09:48:40 pm »

I didn't realize you lost your bees mikey..so sorry to here that. Did you treat in the fall, or do any mite counts? I am just curious.

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #16 on:** March 26, 2017, 09:52:49 pm »

I think I read about a early spring dearth. ?

Mikey N.C. · « **Reply #17 on:** March 26, 2017, 09:57:50 pm »

No they were Wayne's
I'm not smart enough to do chemicals.

Green bee · « **Reply #18 on:** March 26, 2017, 10:00:30 pm »

With that cold snap we had I can believe that. It killed a lot of the blooms on the trees and plants.

Green bee · « **Reply #19 on:** March 26, 2017, 10:05:50 pm »

Quote from: Mikey N.C. on March 26, 2017, 09:57:50 pm

No they were Wayne's
I'm not smart enough to do chemicals.

I would say your plenty smart enough for chemicals. If there is one thing I have learned about bee keeping you have to be pretty smart to keep them. But I have talked to a few keeps and a lot of folks lost hives this year. I know Keith took a big hit and lost a few hives.