All things bees and beekeeping...
#6176762
03/03/18 06:56 PM
03/03/18 06:56 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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Got prodded a little to start a thread related to beekeeping since there is such a wealth of knowledge on the forum, and we have quite a few 'keepers,so here goes nothing.
Hopefully this will be a spot to discuss, ask questions, pick up tips and tricks, and maybe tell some wild tales.
If you keep bees you will recognize that for every beekeeper out there, there will be just as many opinions on a topic, plus one because some can't keep their own opinion straight. That being said let's just keep it open and enjoy the variety of experience levels and opinions.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176785
03/03/18 07:14 PM
03/03/18 07:14 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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And, since this is a trapping forum, I'll start. Swarm season is right around the corner so I'm gearing up for that. Here is how I do it: Start with an old ratty deep box. Cut a hole in the front, angled upward toward the inside top so it doesn't catch rain water. Offset it a little so it lines up between frames. I used a 1 1/4" bit. Cut plywood to fit the box and screw it onto the bottom. Place a hole or two in the bottom and cover with 1/8" hardware cloth. This will allow water to drain and scent to vent. Pick some old frames-the rattier and blacker the better. If you lost some to moths then they are perfect. You only need one, but I sometimes put in two or three. Fill the rest of the box with empty frames, preferably used. Again, those lost to moths are perfect. Use starter strips if you want, but it isn't a deal breaker. Opposite of your entrance hole stuff a cotton ball in between frames to hold your lure. Regular lemon grass oil from a health shop is just fine. Commercial lure works too. Soak the cotton ball and screw a piece of plywood over the top of the box. Pick a spot and put it up high, 6 feet or higher is best. Try to have your entrance facing south and full sun is best. A couple dabs of lure on the entrance and check it about once a week. Some place doors over the entrance which can be closed when a swarm has been captured, but I just slap a piece of hardware cloth over it and staple. One last thing, there should be NO other holes than the entrance where bees can fit through. When you are coming down a ladder in the dark with your freshly trapped bees is the absolute last time you want to find out that they can come out somewhere else. As most beekeepers can attest, bees can fly about 40 MPH but they can crawl about 100 MPH!
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176813
03/03/18 07:50 PM
03/03/18 07:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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Take some pics next time you're out and let's have a look. If all you have is drone brood this time of year you are probably correct.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176818
03/03/18 07:56 PM
03/03/18 07:56 PM
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Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 12,096 Oakland, MS
Drifter
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 12,096
Oakland, MS
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I have been amazed in the lack of bees in my area. I bet don't see a dozen the whole season here. I have been resisting but feeling the urge to get a couple nucs again.
Some individuals use statistics as a drunk man uses lamp-posts — for support rather than for illumination.
Andrew Lang (1844-1912) Scottish poet, novelist and literary critic
Life member NTA , and GA Trappers assoc .
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176825
03/03/18 08:09 PM
03/03/18 08:09 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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There are not many feral colonies here either. Most of my captured swarms came off other keepers' hives last year.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176829
03/03/18 08:14 PM
03/03/18 08:14 PM
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Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,971 Oklahoma
Matt28
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 2,971
Oklahoma
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Take some pics next time you're out and let's have a look. If all you have is drone brood this time of year you are probably correct. it's not just regulare looking drone brood, it's really spotty nasty looking capped drone brood. I seen plenty of eggs some have 2 in a cell and other just one. I will take some pics tomorrow, lucky I just moved this hive to my house 3 weeks ago.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176830
03/03/18 08:16 PM
03/03/18 08:16 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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Sounds like laying workers. If so, you can always newspaper combine them onto a strong, queenright hive.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176848
03/03/18 08:33 PM
03/03/18 08:33 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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It depends on the different strength of the respective hives. Orientation is important too. Like which hive goes on top of the other, etc. It is always best to put a queenless hive on a much stronger hive. An excluder is a good idea too to keep the queen you have from fighting a laying worker. The goal is to keep her in her brood box with her attendants and let the workers from the queenright hive hunt down and kill all the laying workers.
Your other option, which is a good one if you recently moved your hives is to do a shakeout. Before you do leave a nuc with empty frames with comb in the place where the queenless hive was. Do the shakeout and then simply move the frames with bees over your nuc in the normal newspaper combine method. This will leave you with all workers and no laying workers. Since there is no competition they will readily accept the new queen from the nuc. But, you will have to had moved them after the workers started laying. If so, they will have no way to return as they will not have left the hive since the became laying workers.
You can also just shake them out. Most will end up in any of your other hives. One last option, add a frame at a time to your other hives, over time, until the box is empty.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176855
03/03/18 08:39 PM
03/03/18 08:39 PM
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Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328 North Carolina
fingertrapper
OP
trapper
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OP
trapper
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,328
North Carolina
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I was wondering when you would join us and share some knowledge.
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Burke Let's go do something.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176880
03/03/18 09:08 PM
03/03/18 09:08 PM
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Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 27,037 Georgia
warrior
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 27,037
Georgia
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All out of that stuff but I brought my shovel. LOL
Last edited by warrior; 03/03/18 09:08 PM.
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Re: All things bees and beekeeping...
[Re: fingertrapper]
#6176981
03/03/18 11:11 PM
03/03/18 11:11 PM
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Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,448 Kansas
Pawnee
trapper
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trapper
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 6,448
Kansas
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My Papa had 500 hives in Texas. I grew up around them and enjoy threads like this. Takes me back a few years when things seemed simpler. I was always a bit shy around bees. I can hear him now “more smoke candy a$$, what’s your problem “ good times!!
Everything the left touches it destroys
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