Swarm Trap

[Redcap]

A little early to be talking about swarms....but has anyone used a swarm trap..are they any good.....do they work?

 

[Erichalfbee]

There's a thread from yesterday here
http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?p=463839#post463839
There are a few links posted by Hivemaker too.

Nothing beats regular inspections I reckon but something along the lines of the modern beekeeping excluder type, preventing the queen going with a swarm might be useful if you HAVE to miss one inspection, even though site says you can leave it on longer.

BUT thinking you can use one instead of inspecting might be a little foolish.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

BUT thinking you can use one instead of inspecting might be a little foolish.

And that would be putting it nicely

 

[B+.]

Nothing beats regular inspections I reckon but something along the lines of the modern beekeeping excluder type, preventing the queen going with a swarm might be useful if you HAVE to miss one inspection, even though site says you can leave it on longer.

BUT thinking you can use one instead of inspecting might be a little foolish.

I remember talking to Juhani Waara (the owner of the company who makes these) many years ago. He said he leaves them on a month at a time....but, when you are running the number of colonies he is it probably takes him a month to get around them all.

 

[Redcap]

...thanks guys, work/beekeeping balance has a nasty habit of preventing timely inspections on occasions, just saw this as a possible, emergency tool, if a timely inspection could not be carried out. Theory suggests it just might...

 

[itma]

... just saw this as a possible, emergency tool, if a timely inspection could not be carried out. Theory suggests it just might...

Instructions for use (linked on the other thread) suggest not.

 

[Redcap]

Yea, and a friend suggested using a piece of plastic Q/E over the entrance...of course...simples !

 

[wessexmario]

one problem I can see if you're using this to prevent swarming while away from your hives for a period..

It's going to have completely the wrong effect if they decide to supersede the old queen, the new queen won't be able to get out to mate..

 

[Hivemaker.]

one problem I can see if you're using this to prevent swarming while away from your hives for a period..

It's going to have completely the wrong effect if they decide to supersede the old queen, the new queen won't be able to get out to mate..

How would you know they were going to just supercede and not swarm, although left on for a couple of weeks this would not be a problem, but if anyone is intentionally going away for longer at the swarming time of year, then perhaps keeping livestock like bees is not really a thing they should be trying to do, livestock should be more important than holidays.

 

[wessexmario]

How would you know they were going to just supercede and not swarm,

you won't know (that was my point) - but you will loose those weeks of brood laying if the old queen has gone off lay / is sick / has died, which will upset the demographic of the hive.

Wouldn't a better migratory swarm prevention measure for a short period of absence in good foraging weather be to temporarily add additional supers?