How to lure bees into an empty hive: ways to catch swarms and how to set traps

Starting beekeepers are often interested in catching wild bees, which they need to develop their apiary. These insects are used to create the first families. Despite the fact that layers, queens and bee colonies are sold in specialized farms, it is much more profitable to catch wandering swarms. Therefore, the question of how to lure bees into an empty hive is considered quite relevant.

Why bait?

Caught swarm of bees contributes to the increase in the apiary, as swarms quickly increase the number of individuals. In addition, catching new residents of the bee farm makes it possible to increase the volume of bribes.

Wild swarms are most valued. Such bees are distinguished by the following features:

• high performance;
• resistance to many pathologies to which pets are susceptible;
• resistance to climatic factors.

Modern beekeepers try to avoid swarming so as not to lose insects. Because the old methods of fishing are almost never used. When adding a roaming bee swarm to the farm, you can create new strong hives with a different genotype. In addition, many individuals that leave the apiary do not always manage to find new housing. As a result, they die in winter. In such cases, trapping helps save the lives of insects.

How to find the right place?

To catch a swarm of bees in an empty hive, it is important to choose the right place to install it. It is far from always possible to do this in the yard, but experienced beekeepers succeeded. The best places for catching insects include forests, fields, gardens.

Field

If there are no forests near the apiary, it is permissible to engage in catching a swarm in the field. Bees come there to collect nectar. To catch a queen with a family, you need to put a box on the edge of the site.

Garden

If you can't put the boxes in the forest or near the field, you can try to do it in the garden. The trap is recommended to be placed on a tree during the flowering of fruit plants. Bees collect nectar from fruit inflorescences. Therefore, you need to choose one fruit plant and fix a box for fishing on it.

If there are no fruit trees on the site, the bait can be fixed on a linden tree. When it blooms, the bees will come to collect the nectar.

Trees

Wild bees most often swarm on trees that grow in a forest plantation. Therefore, it is recommended to choose suitable plants and install the structure at a height of 5-6 meters. If this is not possible, it is fixed at a height of 3 meters.

Tall and branched culture is suitable for installing the box. It shouldn't be very noticeable. At the same time, it is important that the structure withstand strong gusts of wind. Oak or pine is suitable for fastening the box. But the plant should be near honey plants.

Catching Methods

Today there are many known methods of catching bees. This allows each beekeeper to choose the best option.

Baits

To attract a swarm, beekeepers process scions with special means. They affect the instincts of insects. Often such baits are made from extracts of pheromones and dissolved particles of glands. It also includes the following components:

• geranic acid;
• neroliic acid;
• hexane stabilizer.

The effect of veterinary drugs is largely determined by the rate of evaporation of pheromones. In addition, the beekeeper needs to properly position the bait with his own hands. The box must not be wet. In addition, it needs to be painted before being placed on the site.

Traps

You can catch bees with the help of special devices. Making a trap is easy. At the same time, it will be possible to catch bees even if there is no apiary nearby. When making a structure, it is important to consider the following:

1. Build a box that will become a temporary new home for insects. In fact, this is the same hive, but it is smaller.
2. To make a box, you can use ordinary plywood or thin boards. At the same time, the appearance is not particularly important - the trap will only become a temporary shelter for bees.
3. The inside of the trap should be comfortable. At the same time, it is important to observe all proportions and avoid the appearance of cracks through which drafts will appear.
4. When creating a trap, it is important to consider that half of the insects are separated from the family. Therefore, the box must be quite large. Otherwise, the swarm will fly by.
5. The best option would be a box in which it is recommended to place 5-8 frames. Young bees settle in such a room.
6. The parameters of the notch should be 6-7 centimeters in length and 1 centimeter in height. This will help prevent rodents from getting inside. It is important to install a board with a protrusion of at least 3 centimeters before the entrance.
7. It is permissible to cover the top of the trap with bark or branches. In order for insects to go there better, the walls should be covered with wax from the inside.
8. To keep it dry inside, you can build a roof. It is overlapped and covered with a waterproof material.
9. To attract a young family, it is worth using frames with pulled back foundation, but they should not contain honey. Its scent can attract thieving wasps.

• Traps do not usually need to be insulated as they are only used in summer.

If the swarm has settled in a trap, you need to do the following:

1. Help the insects adjust to the trap. Only after 2-3 days they need to be moved to a new place.
2. It is recommended to move the trap only in the evening, when all the bees will be in the nest. At the same time, it is recommended to close the entrances.
3. Hang a new trap in place of the trap.
4. Before moving insects to a permanent place, it is required to inspect the frames and find the uterus.
5. A transplant will only work if the queen is in the hive.
6. For a family, it is recommended to substitute a few more frames with new foundation and drawn dry.

No traps

You can catch stray bees without traps. To lure insects, you should use a sunbed, dadan or the bottom of the hive. To catch the bees, the device needs to be taken 50 meters from the main apiary, put several frames with dry land and left for the swarm to settle there. This method has the important advantage that it can be used like a beehive. At the same time, the family will not have to be relocated.

You can also catch bee swarms using a frame carrier. There you need to install several sushi, and rub the walls with wax. Its scent attracts bees.

When the swarm starts to land on a tree in the garden, you need to put the carrier on your head and smoothly follow the bees. Soon the swarm will begin to fly into the box. It is important to be careful and not make sudden movements. When the queen sits on the frames, the family will soon join her.

When the swarm completely sits in the box, it needs to be hung on a branch. However, the structure is strictly forbidden to be placed on the ground. Ants can get on the bees. In this case, the family will fly away. The upper part of the carrier must be covered with a cloth and left for a certain time. In the evening, you can start moving.

Drugs

Special preparations will help to lure the bees. There are many effective products on sale today.

Apimil

This bee bait is said to be very effective. It includes components such as geranium, Phenozan-43 stabilizer, geranic acid. Also in the composition there are methyl esters of phenylacetic acid, citral, 9-ODK.

This drug is obtained by combining all the means under normal conditions. However, it is much more effective than other substances that are used in beekeeping. Therefore, this bait definitely makes sense to trap.

Apiroy

This product comes in the form of a gel. It has an effective effect on the bee swarm and can radically change its behavior. The composition is used to attract swarms. For this purpose, it is required to treat a trap, a swarm or an empty hive with a tool. It is important to place the finished structure on the windy side.

Uniroy

This tool is also considered very effective. It helps to catch the bee colony or queen. The product is available in the form of a gel. It is made from synthetic attractants and natural ingredients with a strong aroma. Before replanting the queen, a drop of a substance and a little honey are applied to her abdomen. After processing, the uterus is planted in the center of the nest.

The drug is required to spray the scion in a circle. For the internal processing of the box, 1 gram of the substance is needed.

How to prevent leaving the hive

So that the hive does not leave the apiary, there are certain secrets:

1. Roy Pervak flies out with the intention of leaving his family.
2. At this time, you need to bring the hive, setting 3 frames in it.
3. Carefully remove the frames with honey and printed brood from the family. At the same time, it is important to exclude frames with queen cells.
4. Place the structures in the new hive.
5. Cover up with ponytail.
6. It is acceptable to use brood from another family.
7. This allows you to get a decoy hive.
8. To increase efficiency, rub lemon catnip on the outside of the structure.
9. After that, you need to watch out for flying insects. The new hive should follow them smoothly.
10. When the bees sit on the structure, it is worth installing a house and waiting for the swarm to settle in it.
11. Move the structure to the shade - to a permanent place.

Swarm transport

When the bees fall into the trap, you will need to transport them to the apiary. It is recommended to do this in warm calm weather. This avoids the increased aggression of the bees and minimizes the likelihood of stings. It is important to wait until sunset when the last bees are trapped after work. Then you should climb a tree, carefully close the entrance, remove the box and use an additional rope to lower the structure down. At the same time, you can't make noise.

It is quite possible to catch wild bees. To do this, you can use special traps or other devices. Equally important is the use of special baits that attract insects.

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