21 replies to this topic

[Nichrome]

Set up this swarm catch box in a tree uphill about 100 yards and in the line of site of the entrance to a big hollow tree hive. Cute little dark colored bees in that tree. It's about a half mile into the woods to the spot where the feral hive is.

 

 

 

[pharmer]

got some lemongrass scent in there?

[Nichrome]

I have better success with lime essential. That one I also threw a few sprigs of citrus mint in the box as well.

 

Got a few buckets up yesterday. There is a hollow tree hive less than 1/4 mile from these.

 

Edited by Nichrome, 18 May 2022 - 03:25 PM.

[pharmer]

Other than in the upper part of this Great Lake State where orchards are plentiful and there's a beekeeper on every fifth farm I have never seen a swarm trap in this state. Saw tons of them in Florida, they were even placed three deep in the cloverleafs of the Interstates :)

[Nichrome]

That's funny you should mention the interstate. There is a interstate interchange nearby I have been eyeballing. Several of the concrete walls holding up parts of the road are about 10 feet high and the holes at the top are the perfect size to fit a 10 frame deep and the spot is in a big flat river valley that meets another river valley (the freeways meet where the rivers meet). The valley is just loaded with flowers, knotweed, goldenrod, locust, clover etc etc, and I know there is at least one beekeeper nearby as well within a quarter mile. I don't think anybody would mess with them in those spots. They'd have to bring a ladder.

 

There are a few big oaks I'd like to bike chain some boxes to in town here close by. I've known a few different feral hives right here in this neighborhood.

 

Hoping to get some of the feral deep woods bees this year. I have more woods than I have sunny areas to put hives and the deep woods genetics would fare well here.

 

I have 3 more boxes to hang tomorrow. That will make 11 boxes so far this year. I'd like to get another 8 up at least before June. June is the heavy swarm month and we have had a lot of days with rain or cold or wind so the bloom should be great and the bees are getting crowded and antsy. I turned some old dresser drawers into bait boxes. They're right around 40 liters and smell like old shed/attic (dresser looked like it was a 1950's build. can't fake petina like that ;)) and now has old brood comb in it too. One of the boxes for tomorrow is just another 10 frame deep box that had bees in it a few times now. I'm mostly going with 10 frame deeps for swarm boxes this year and this year is the first year I'm really getting into bait boxes. I've caught a few swarms in the past but I'm making more of a solid attempt, building good boxes and locating them near feral colonies and heavy bee traffic areas.

Edited by Nichrome, 20 May 2022 - 01:20 AM.

[pharmer]

We pay upwards of 175 dollars here for a nuc so I can easily see the attraction to free bees :)

 

Your idea about shade loving genetics sounds right. You know they're survivors if they've lived in a tree overwinter.

[rockyfungus]

Interesting stuff! I've been staying away from this as I know I'll get addicted once I start. 
Wanted to build mostly rest places for our pollinators. I've been going hard on native flowers that attract them all. 

Sadly it's snowing and we'll be getting 6 inches. No clue how my recently bloomed trees and plants will handle this. 

[Myc]

I hope you might give this thread a read:

https://mycotopia.ne...ight-with-bees/

 

Your interest in bees has sparked my interest. ;)

[Nichrome]

 

 

Caught a nice big swarm in this box. They already have some big combs full of eggs going. Lot's of bees. The inside peek was mid day when most were out foraging.

 

Spent yesterday obliterating a ladies wall to extract a small hive that had moved in. Saved the little hive and they are bringing in pollen today so I think they'll be fine. Got stung all up because it was too hot to gear up. I'm thankful for bee's stings. Liability waivers.

[Nichrome]

Got a nice one today!

 

 

 

[ElPirana]

That’s awesome Nichrome! My coworker built a couple swarm boxes and just got them out last week. Super interesting hobby!

[Nichrome]

I hope that works out for them. Feral bees and swarms are the best. They are the bees that nature wants in that place and often are well adapted to local environments.

 

If your friend has them close by they can wait till just before sundown and catch a few bees off a flower/flowers nearby the swarm boxes. Wait till sundown and then put the bees in the swarm box. They will cluster and rest there overnight and then leave in the morning. The smell they give off while resting for the night will stick to the box material for several days and is the "safety" or "home" pheromone and is a great "lure". The foragers that spend the night there will orient in the morning and fly home. Bees will generate swarms to fill neighboring hollows that are suitable. If they do not then another possibly competitive family of bees  will move in first (bees maintain familial multi hive territories). It takes about 3 weeks to generate a new swarm from scratch. Some hives have a partial or multiple full swarms in the works for the whole nice season. A naturally successful hive will throw out 1-20 swarms in a season. Swarming is usually a sign of success and rarely but sometimes a last ditch effort for colony survival due to extreme circumstance like a bee tree falling over or a bear attack or too confined of a space.

 

Bees that forage close to sundown are usually within a couple hundred yards of their hive. They are the best bees to alert to your bait boxes and the most likely to generate a swarm to fill them. Bees are very intelligent and they have complex vocal, physical, chemical, magnetic, electric, and heat communication methods and they all make decisions collectively after deliberation. You could almost call what they do voting. Information is communicated and then a wide array of responses and conversing happens before a decision is met. It doesn't always work but usually is well organized and can take just seconds or days or weeks or even years.  You want to invite the right bees in in the right way. Once they start swarming to a place, all the bees want to do the same in the same place. You might catch a swarm on the same tree branch 3 days in a row, all from different hives. Cool creatures.

[ElPirana]

I tried to relay as much of this as possible to my friend at work today. His boxes are about 1 1/2 hours from his home, so may not be too easy to catch and place bees in them. But he’s got an extra box at home he may put out. I’m hoping I can go along if he’s successful and transfer them. He wants to do a horizontal hive, already has everything he needs evidently.

Edited by ElPirana, 08 June 2022 - 05:19 PM.

[pharmer]

I call my bees The Little Miracles. They're endlessly fascinating to work with.

 

I also call the colony itself a miracle. The little miracles don't live long enough to "learn" anything so anything they're doing is pure instinct.

[Nichrome]

Yesterday's swarm is cleaning out debris and already bringing in pollen. No time to waste.

[Uncle G]

Awesome thread.  Caught my first 3 swarms this year myself.  I am not sure how to post pictures anymore.  I am going to need to get some advice from you all. 

[Myc]

Here ya go Uncle G:

https://mycotopia.ne...ly-to-the-site/

 

Hoping that helps.

[Uncle G]

I caught swarm but they are mean.   I call them the mean bees.   They are also different from the other two swarms I caught. I think they are European dark bee. They stung me like 5 times now. 

Edited by Uncle G, 26 June 2022 - 01:11 PM.

[Nichrome]

They are beautiful. I love the wild dark bees. They are some of the best survivors.

 

Do you have a lot of bears in your area?

[Uncle G]

They are beautiful. I love the wild dark bees. They are some of the best survivors.

 

Do you have a lot of bears in your area?

 

No bears around here.  The bees there are a larger bee than the other two swarms I caught but gosh dang sting the shit out you.  I got them in horizontal hive and doing alright.   

 

How long have you been bee keeping?