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ocba - Re: [ocba] If you build it... Quick! Now what?

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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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Chronological Thread  
  • From: Walter Starks <walterstarks AT icloud.com>
  • To: Brad Kosiba <bradkosiba AT gmail.com>
  • Cc: Orange County Beekeepers Association <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] If you build it... Quick! Now what?
  • Date: Sun, 17 Apr 2016 14:59:28 -0400

Just my opinion, but I would go ahead and move them to a regular hive. I’m sure you’ll lose a few but probably not many. I had to move some hives about 50 feet last year to get them out of the shade. There were some bees that went back to the original site the next day, but not many and I’m sure they eventually found a hive somewhere. Might want to leave the trap down for a few days. I think that will encourage the bees to seek shelter elsewhere.



___________________

Walter Starks


You never can tell with bees. ~ Winnie-the-Pooh




On Apr 17, 2016, at 2:15 PM, Brad Kosiba <bradkosiba AT gmail.com> wrote:

Ok, so I hung a swarm trap up in the back yard some weeks ago.  The trap is a deep box with medium frames, 2/8 with old comb, the others with starter popsicle strips in the top edge of the frames.  Just this week I baited it with an unzipped ziplock baggie containing a Q-tip with one end dampened with a drop of lemon grass oil and one end spritz of queen pheremone.  It is hanging in a tree about 40 yards from my apiary.  

And just now, someone else's swarm just arrived!  (my two hives are newly installed packages).

How long should I leave them be? The box is a bit tilted, so I don't want to wait too long while they build tilted comb.  I do have one of those easy to close circular door devices.

Can I expect to be able to just install them in a proper hive on the ground some 40 yards away or do I need to take them somewhere else first, some miles away so they don't get lost and go back to the tree when I move them?

Thanks for any advice.  A first swarm attracted is not a first swarm caught....

Cheers,

Brad

--
Bradley E Kosiba, PhD
Biochemist-Beekeeper-Gardener-Scouter
 
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