I don’t know exactly what I am going to do with them if I get them. Thus I was looking for something they could swarm in and overwinter, then figure it out later. Having them be pollinators in the area is good enough for me at the moment. I don’t use enough honey to justify it, although I could use the wax.
I really don’t have time right now to manage an apiary.
I wonder if you can take like a 55 gallon barrel then run a tube like an drainage tile pipe, then add another hole at the bottom of the pipe as an entrance… then just leave the barrel on blocks on the ground. They would end up using the lower entrance, and the barrel is big enough, cheap, and easy to move if needed. add some insulation for winter.
I guess I could make a top bar beehive using a 55 gallon barrel that is split in half… but I was thinking something simple. more akin to what the russian was doing with the old 5 gallon water bottles. but I don’t like climbing ladders especially with large objects and who knows if I get a swarm or not…
One time there was a swarm in a small tree at work. I recovered them with some help from my friend Billy Jones and put them in the “bucket” of an old shop vac with an improvised lid, which is what I had at hand. Then, I transferred them into a metal trash can. They didn’t like that much. Put them in a traditional hive, and by that time, they were tired of me and absconded, leaving me bee-less. First problem, they were a July swarm, which according to the old poem, isn’t worth a fly! Second problem was I was not prepared.
The Dr. Leo swarm traps have a frame that you can transfer into a horizontal hive of his design. Being able to move frames and do an inspection without destroying the hive is a good thing.
I don’t really care if they aren’t worth a fly this year if they can make it through winter. I am just trying to give them a good home, not collect honey at least this year. I don’t want to buy or make a bunch of equipment this year.
Hi Sean my swarm traps are at eye level at the entrance or lower. The lemon grass fragrence will a bring the scout bees around. They will check the space inside by walking it off to my sure the space is big enough.
Bees need insulation for cold and heat. So a metal barrel might not be good for summer to hot, and winter to cold to heat in winter. They use their body heat and air curulation with their wings to cool and heat. The temp. Has to be just right to reproduce. This is why they like to get into wall insulation and floors under houses. The spacing is just right.
Check out Dr. LEO he is great. A wood box with top bar frames and a lid on top with a opening hole in the bottom is all you need.
I make all my frames and nucs from recycled wood.
Once you have Yehovah’s bees the fun begins taking care of them a little, and watching them up close letting them do their thing in God’s nature life cycle.
Don’t forget to ask out loud to The YEHOVAH for some heathy, Farel bees, in his Words Name Yesuha.
Bob
They said the optimal is like 12-15ft. That is why I was thinking a pipe up the tree, and put the real entrance much closer to ground level. I think a plastic barrel would work better and a smaller one then 55gallons.
I just want them for pollination at this point. maybe later I will worry about products. We used to have 12 hives, but I don’t have the gear anymore. I am pretty okay just providing a home for them to do whatever they want at this point.
A while back I asked if anyone knew the site that used to have plans for all the bee equipment. I found them they were part of the old beesource.com forum. Here is the address: /www.beesource.com/threads/build-it-yourself-equipment-plans-in-pdf-format.367102/#post-1859001
This is the time of year here for the start of swarms, I got an email about a business wanting to get bees out of an old building they bought. I will try to do a trap-out on the colony that is only about 12’ off the ground, but the two larger colonies are about 25’ off the ground, a bit out of my ability. So I have left 2 bait hives figuring all of these will swarm soon.
Kent
Okay I see the openings now. You just used a wool blanket to plug up the big hole in the lower log opening and it makes good insulation too. Looks nice and fits in with natures suroundings. The ladies and the few boys will be happy in their new home you have provided for them. Good job on the bee hive. The log has a redish color to it. Is it cedar?
Bob
Bob, l bought a swarm. Catching one is rare here, and catching a wild swarm is preety much impossible.
JO, ok. More hints. You posted a video once of a old gentleman that is a veteran in woodgasing. He mentioned this wood is best for woodgas as it has no tar.
Ha, the refinery is on anual repair and modification. Need to set it right before l visit Tone, he set the bar high!
Aha, black alder
We only have gray alder around here. The one that turns orange an hour after cutting it. Etreeemly bulky. Weighs nothing when dry. I guess black alder is better.
How far to Tone from your place? You’re right, he’s really set the bar high.
It does have a orange or light redish tone to it. So the alder log, when dried out will be much ligher in weight then it looks?
I have never seen honey bees make a hive in a hollowed out log, but in the forest the nasty Yellow Jackets like fellen trees to nest in.
Bob
I think its all about the same as far as density goes. Makes excelent firewood thugh in my opinion, burns fast but realy hot. Traditionaly, black powder was also made from its charcoal.
Yes this process always amayes me. When you cut it, the wood is snow white. In minutes it starts to get red.
that sounds exactly like the alder we have here, but ours will get punky in less then a year if not burned up, very susceptible to rot and grows mold if left wet
I have had terrible luck wintering my bees. I finally started sending them with a commercial bee keeper for the winter. Been doing that now for the last 5 years or so.
Hethis guy brought his bees north last week… later than in year past.
He sends them to different locations. Last week, right before he moved his bees from his washington location he said he had 400 hives stolen and another guy had a semi’s worth of bees stollen.
Yup bee high jacking is big monies these days. Some bee keepers have location monitors mixed in the hive boxes. Or have the hives in lock down areas.
Bob
Thus I was looking for something they could swarm in and overwinter, then figure it out later. Having them be pollinators in the area is good enough for me at the moment. I don’t use enough honey to justify it, although I could use the wax.
