I thought I'd put this under a new topic so it will be easier to see. I got this book called "Swarm Traps & Bait Hives" by McCartney Taylor and it is really informative, exciting and encouraging. Basically it outlines how to catch a swarm of bees, mainly by making "bait hives", hanging them in likely locations and then periodically checking them for activity.
I love this book! I did read some criticisms on Amazon which said that this information could have been gleaned freely from various sites online. Maybe that could be said of what is presented in most of the books we purchase...
In this small book the author has given clear and very, very easy directions on how to go about trapping swarms. He says that anywhere you see honeybees foraging, there is likely to be a hive within 3 miles and that hive has a high probablitly of swarming in the spring.
He gives easy directions, even for the worst carpentry clutz, to bang together a rudimentary box of just such proportions to make it attractive to swarming bees. He recommends using or recyling old boards for the project as that is most attractive to them, new plywood or boards being a put-off. He tells how to increase your chances of catching a swarm by using lemon grass oil (available at granola stores), as well as by other means.
Finally, these words had me almost leapin' outta my longjohns! ... "GUTS stands for Go Use This Stuff! Deploying one swarm trap is better than thinking about deploying 10. Just go do it! If you've made it this far, [he's referring to actually reading his little book], I'll tell you one last secret. You will catch swarms! Lots."
Now I've got a few books to read in order to brush up on beekeeping, because after all, catching them is the first step... I had a hive about 20 years ago, but I want to learn more about the newer low maintenance, more natural systems of beekeeping. So I will do that in effort to be prepared for spring swarming activity.
Also to note: winter is the time to bang together your bait hives, so they can be ready to roll early. There are free plans on the internet of how to build a modern low maintenance type hive which will give the bees a more natural environment and less likely to need medications to prevent disease. I don't have any sites saved to give you here now, but shouldn't be hard to find.
Anyone care for a little friendly competition to see who can catch the first swarm??
Wow Martha , you live and learn. I had no idea that you could do that. It sounds really interesting, certainly enough that I will look into it a further. Thanks for the post.
very interesting
if you are not after honey and just want pollinators
mason bee nests are easy to build
here is one, but you can look up other designs on the interweb
http://phigblog.com/2010/02/27/making-mason-bee-homes/
And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her;
for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:
The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones,...
and slaves, and souls of men.
Thanks ICrCC, I'm excited about it because we'll need something eventually when all our sugar runs out. Will try to surf around and find some free plans.
Got freedom? thankyou for the mason bee home plans! I was travelling through Vernon last summer, and there was a guy selling them, at that time I had never heard of such an insect. Later though I was kicking myself later for not buying one as I think we should try to support independent guys selling worthwhile stuff fashioned by their own hands, rather than just cheap plastic crap from Dollarama. I'm definitely interested in making one, I now understand that Mason bees are great pollinators.
Free bees??? Here I was hoping it was a typo and you found a way to get free BEERS. Drats! Foiled again. 😉
I'm one of those that will have to buy or barter for honey because of allergy. While a sting isn't deadly, the antihistamines I keep in my wallet just buy time if there is a second sting. Bee keeping just isn't one of my life ambitions but I hope the rest of you create a honey glut. There are bee keepers in my area but I think pollination is a near even split between honey bees and bumble bees at my place. All the power to those of you who harvest the bounty. Please be kind to those of us who are Halictidae family challenged.
I like bumble bees because a) I have NEVER been stung by one and b) they are very slow and docile. A great combination IMO.
Than= I’d rather be rich than poor.
Then= I first became hungry then I ate.
There = She is there now.
Their = They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.
To = They came to the house.
Too = That's too bad.
Sorry to disappoint you BtR! Maybe you could do some research on how to brew honey mead, who knows, might be a viable replacement for beer! 😉
Bee allergies are weird things. I got stung quite a few times during the year I had my hive, but the last time I took a sting in the jaw and my whole head swelled... like a hydrocephalus case. I was too ignorant to know how dangerous that could be, but several years later when I recounted that incident to someone more informed, they encouraged me to get tested for a bee allergy and to consider carrying an epipen. So I went and got tested and nothing showed! The doctor who tested me had a great deal of experience and I almost thought she didn't believe how extreme of a reaction I had in the past. That was about 7 or 8 years afterwards that I tested negative... But now that you brought that up, it worries me a bit... wonder if a few stings could get me back to a similar point... What do you mean that the antihistamines buy time if there's a second sting? What then?
Martha, in my case the first sting will put me into shock (my skin gets very pale and actual events seem somewhat surreal). That said I can still think clear enough to get out of a bad situation and the antihistamines will have me back to normal and out of shock (but very swollen at the sting site and area surrounding it) in about 3 hours. With the second sting antihistamines buy me some time to get to medical help from professionals. I have bought a couple of epipens in the past but found I didn't carry them with me very often, so what's the point?
Concerning allergies, usually with the onset of puberty child hood allergies either get better or worse but seldom stay the same. As a child a sting on the forearm had my right are looking like I borrowed it from 'Popeye the sailor'. As an adult a sting on the inside mid thigh had my leg swollen from crotch to ankle and 1/2 ways around my leg. That was after taking about 4 times the recommended dose of liquid antihistamines within about 5 minutes of getting stung. (don't do this at home Kids, I'm a trained professional) 😉 The next couple of days were pretty 'trippy'.
I just avoid bees and wasps when possible and get out of 'their turf' ASAP if I stray into it. In the summer I usually have a cam of Raid Wasp and Hornet Killer handy me when outdoors and keep a few cans in key locations (near the back door of my house, near the man door of my garage, on the patio table, just inside the door of the holiday trailer) and will move them even closer to my activity if wasps start taking interest. If wasp activity elevates I'll quit what I am doing and simply move indoors for an hour or two.
For your back yard a good DIY 'WASP TRAP' is a plastic soft drink bottle with a 1/4" diameter hole drilled about 1/2 way down the curve between the neck and body of the bottle. Put an inch or two of cola (non diet) in the bottle and screw the cap back on. Either hang the bottle up or set it somewhere that it won't get knocked/blown over. Wasps smell the sugar in the cola, enter the bottle and can't find their way out. Eventually they tire and fall into the cola and drown. When wasps stop showing interest in the 'trap' it's time to replace the cola. Unfortunately the odd honey bee ends up in the trap but I have never seen a bumble be in a trap yet probably due to the small entrance hole.
Than= I’d rather be rich than poor.
Then= I first became hungry then I ate.
There = She is there now.
Their = They have their things.
They're = They're going to the mall.
To = They came to the house.
Too = That's too bad.
Thanks for the info BTR, will keep it in mind.