Rehoming a Bucket of Bees from a Swarm Trap
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.ค. 2024
- One of the cheapest ways to catch honeybees is with a swarm trap. Sure, you can use old bee equipment if you have it. But, if you don't, one simple solution is a cheap 5-gallon bucket from Home Depot and some old beeswax. Simply paint the inside of the hive, bore a hole in the side, and put it near a spot where you expect bees to fly nearby. In this video, I rehive and rehome a small hive of bees who chose our DIY swarm trap. It's an easy way to save $200 on buying bees. All it takes is a bit of patience.
00:00 Introduction
02:23 Looking Inside the Hive With an Endoscope
03:00 Setting Up to Rehome Bees
05:09 Moving Bees to a New Box
09:25 Finding Queen Bees by Behavior
11:42 Conclusion
Thanks for this video, Got a swarm in a 5 gallon bucket now but this will be my first time having to move them from a bucket to a box with frames so this was an excellent video / tutorial.
Awesome! Thanks for the comment. Have fun with the new colony!
Ryan, I subscribed to your channel. I like your style. "Cheap Swarm Traps" brought me here. I am a part- time timid beekeeper, never really confident, hoping to get better! Thanks for the videos!
Thanks for following, Mike!
A k you!! About to do a swarm trap that has been occupied for a few months. I’m nervous cause my 1st cutout did amazing and they had zero stores. My second one absconded and left a ton of babies, pollen and honey 😅
Nice job!
Thanks.
Bees do like buckets but in my experience they initially often build very delicate comb which is attached to the side and top of the bucket. It's almost impossible to avoid destroying significant amounts of comb during the cut out. It just falls apart when handled.
So now, I've stopped being a cheapskate and invested in a couple of Nuc boxes for swarm traps, and put some frames in them. This way, things generally start out a bit better organised and easier to handle. Plus there's a much better chance of saving a decent amount of comb to transfer to the hive. The risk of accidentally squishing or drowning a queen due to falling comb is also probably lower using a nuc box with frames, too. Once you've moved the swarm to it's hive, you can simply clean the nuc box, put some more frames in it, and hang it up again as a swarm trap. Not much cost involved. Friendlier for the bees, and generally less trouble with the transfer.
Up to you......!
Generally, the goal of the swarm trap is not for them to build comb to begin with. But, my experience is that, if tending to the traps regularly, it isn't long enough to be a problem (fragile) from its weight, since there isn't any stored honey. The bucket lid removes cleanly, which I can even set upside down while I transfer the comb. In an ideal world, I would certainly use nucs if I had them. But, they're not anywhere near as cheap as a $3 5-gallon bucket. That said - buckets certainly add a step to transferral.
great video!
Thanks!
Nice job. Can't wait for swarm season again. I need to try some buckets.
Me too! Nothing beats catching free bees!
I like ur rubber band method.
Thanks. It certainly makes things a lot cleaner & easier.
Those bees were so docile
Indeed! They barely took interest in me. So far, they’ve been busy building connecting comb, and I caught a glimpse of the queen yesterday. Now, if only I can help them build up a decent cluster before winter. Thankfully, in our area of Texas we’ll likely have 60-70-degree weather into December. Right now, I’m giving thin syrup to encourage comb & pollen patty to encourage brood. Anytime I open them up, they barely notice.
@@macbeebuzzin
I was gonna say, how they were acting i dont even think the smoke was needed. Glad ya giving them a fighting chance to survive the winter. Randomly stumbled across your channel and I'm enjoying what i am seeing. Keep up the good work and be safe out there broski
If you would add a piece of screen wire cut to the proper size and that feeder you wouldn't lose no Bees this is old Rob
Always happy to hear suggestions of what works for other people. Thanks for sharing, Robin.
can u explain? thx
Thank you for sharing, I’ve been thinking about using buckets for swarm traps! 😁
I noticed the Odyssey sticker on of your hives there, is that what you named it or is it just for decoration?
Odyssey is the name of the hive. I name most of my hives after space shuttles, space missions, or notable sea vessels. And I name the queen lines after women I know (based on personalities). :) The names are a fun way for me to remember attributes of each hive & their origins. Odyssey was a giant swarm I caught near our neighborhood. The queen line is Lauren, after a friend who is always starting a new adventure. When I harvest honey, my customers enjoy reading those sorts of details on the label.
@@macbeebuzzin That is an awesome way to remember. I asked because one of my granddaughters is named Oddysee, spelled different but it sounds the same 😊 I haven’t named queens yet, but that’s a great idea! These bees just make everything extra special 🥰
The so-called ladder at each side of the inhive feeder does not work very well and many bees will drown because the hooks on the feet of the bees cannot grip the slick plastic and size of the ladder holes. I take some 1/8 inch hardware cloth rolled up in a tube and place it down in the ladder hole.
Thanks for the tip. Normally, on a reasonably sized colony, I don’t use cap & ladder at all. Just some sticks as floats & they sort it out with minimal drowning. Or I use bucket top feeders. With smallish colonies, I rarely see more than a dozen dead bees with cap & ladder. So many good ways to meet the bees needs.
Hey Buddy! Join us Thursday Night For Hillbilly Hives Live! 8pm Eastern! We are a group of friends that promote eachother on youtube! God Bless youall and your Bees!!!
Thanks. I still haven't had a chance to pop in. I'll need to be sure to check in soon.
@@macbeebuzzin Fred Dunn Stopped in last Thursday! We have special gueast each week! Some are super famous like Ian Steppler and some oly have 20 or more subs! We learn from eachother and have fun! We would sure love to Have you! Oh after we spend time with guest. We try to pump up their subs! And at 9pm We post link for watchers to join in and talk to us and our guest! People so far come and get hooked from our crazy Hillbilly humor! And 1 or more can bout recite the entire Anatomy of a bee insise and out front to back. And We even dive into Chemistry. Crazy Rite? Cant Wait to Meet you! God Bless!!!
@@DooleyBFR I’d love to join you. Let me know a date or two that you have in mind!
video on swarm trap?
Great idea! I’m adding it to my list for the near future.
If they thrive in a bucket, why do you rehome them?
Good question. The swarm bucket is only intended as a temporary home (swarm trap) and is located on someone else’s property. Once discovered & taken to the bee yard, beekeepers in our area are required to have hives with removable frames so that they can be regularly inspected for diseases. It also makes it easier for beekeepers to feed them supplemental food if needed during the cold months or summer dearth.
@@macbeebuzzin Thanks for the quick reply. so basically , what you are saying is, the bucket is suitable for a hive, but legally, they need to be moved to a legally sanctioned hive. thanks for the info.
@@bleumeanyontherampage2136 Yes. If the bucket is in the shade, they would likely be fine in there until they outgrow it and swarm again. (In Texas, they might overheat when we get to July/August. But, you may be in a different area.) But, for me to manage the hive, it is required to have removable frames.