Author Topic: Short sad story  (Read 2506 times)

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Offline Mosti

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Short sad story
« on: April 17, 2017, 09:13:13 am »
Swarm trapped, moved, absconded. 2 days later another swarm moves in the same empty nuc, another 2 days later and they abscond again. 2 swarms absconded from the same nuc.

Nuc looks ok to me but something is bothering them.

Offline Perry

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #1 on: April 17, 2017, 09:15:54 am »
The size of the nuc box would be my guess. If it's not going to be big enough to accommodate an entire colony it will be used as a stepping stone. Bummer! :sad:
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor."      
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Offline Mosti

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #2 on: April 17, 2017, 01:49:01 pm »
I don't think it's the problem,  it wasn't a big swarm.

Offline Perry

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #3 on: April 17, 2017, 01:51:50 pm »
I may be wrong Mosti, but no matter the size of the swarm, they would look at the available space and its potential to be able to house a thriving colony, and if it appears to be too small for that, they might well move on. Just my theory.
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Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #4 on: April 17, 2017, 07:47:35 pm »
I quit using 5 frame nuc boxes for swarm traps because of what Perry said, wrnt to 10 frame deeps and haven't had that problem. What i agreed with Perry :o Jack

Offline G3farms

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #5 on: April 17, 2017, 08:08:07 pm »
I will second the nuc box being too small for a swarm trap.

Are you using any kind of lure?.........lemon grass oil?......just a drop will go a long way, too much will also drive them out also.
Bees are bees and do as they please!

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Offline Mosti

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #6 on: April 18, 2017, 10:55:02 am »
This is just a regular used nuc. I have hived swarms in them before and never had them abscond.

Offline brooksbeefarm

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #7 on: April 18, 2017, 11:59:59 am »
I had a 10 frame swarm trap last year that had two swarms abscond, when i took it down early this spring to clean it up i found a nest of dead RED Wasp in the back corner. :o Glad they were dead :yes:they can get your attention in a hurry. Now i know what happened. Jack

Offline Mosti

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2017, 02:00:31 pm »
It could be that they where annoyed by a leafy branch hitting their nuc with a certain wind. Don't know. I'll check it out.

Offline rober

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #9 on: April 24, 2017, 11:14:17 pm »
I lock all swarms down for 2-3 days minimum. I might put a small swarm in a nuc but when I unlock them they go into a single deep.
 a swarm I caught 3 weeks ago was large enough that I had to put them in a double deep.

Offline Mosti

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #10 on: April 26, 2017, 01:13:06 pm »
I lock all swarms down for 2-3 days minimum. I might put a small swarm in a nuc but when I unlock them they go into a single deep.
 a swarm I caught 3 weeks ago was large enough that I had to put them in a double deep.

Never knew that this could be done. Do you feed them? And how?

Offline riverbee

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Re: Short sad story
« Reply #11 on: April 26, 2017, 10:10:16 pm »
mosti, like rober, i typically hive a large swarm in a hive deep.
feed, i do give them a little 1:1 sugar syrup.
i keep wild things in a box..........™
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