Swarm Trap

Has anybody got any info if the Swarm Trap works. I noticed it in the Thorne 2010 - 11 catalogue.

Yes and No, but mainly No.

However, the logic is good. Swarms 'normally issue' in the bee's business hours of 10am until around about 4pm. I HM can be prevented from leaving the hive, then any intending swarms will either not happen or will return pronto due to the lack of an accompanying queen. So where you might have an unclipped queen and a number of open queen cells and/or can't be around at the appropriate time to prevent a swarm, it is a good idea to put a queen excluder under the brood box to prevent HM leaving.

The down side of this strategy is that the brood box has to be lifted to insert and remove the Qx.

The swarm trap(?) is an external device that hangs in place, much like a pollen trap, and so is less labour intensive and a lot more convenient to use.

In both cases drones are prevented free passage, but the swarm trap(?) is supposed to be closed only during the hours of the day when swarming is likely. The drones having free access out of peak swarming hours, but this has to be done manually, so good for the garden apiary, but not for the out apiary 20 miles away.

The rational of a Qx under the brood box in times of perceived risk is that the queen is likely to be a gonner anyway and so may just as well be seen off by a virgin. The virgins also get to sort out their own domestic issues, but the Qx needs to be in place only as long as there is a proper swarm risk. The virgin will need to get out to mate.

An improvement is a design that incorporates a motorised timer to close a Qx gate for a nominal week from the time of activation during the peak swarming hours. Watch this space for my design before next spring.


Based on the inormation given above, do you think that it works and is it worthwhile for you?

I had to go and look it up on the website to understand what you were talking about. I'd got it into my head that it was some sort of bait hive for catching swarms rather than preventing them. Couldn't work it out at all...

James

Picaxe swarm trap

I just looked at the Thorn** price £37+ then delivery. Keep lifting those brood boxes!

Micro Servo £4 (1kg/cm)
picaxe chip £2
Battery pack £5 (guessing)
Oddments and bit of Qx £4
So for between £15 and £22 you should be able to make or buy your own automated device for DX beekeeping, perhaps even less.

or go down the MB line - all you need is a QE and 3 sided eke to go ON TOP of the broodbox for 3 (QC+) or 4 (QC-) weeks when you can't inspect. much cheaper.

Just had a look on MB can't find what you're refering to the eke that is....

http://www.modern beekeeping.co.uk/item/187/queen-trap-anti-swarm-system

i tried the idea out this year - unfortunately the entrance block wasn't a tight enough fit in the bottom box and they pushed it out!!!!

HI drstitson,
Looks like a sound idea will you be trying again this coming year?

ZZ

yes - on all hives that are likely to have disjointed inspection calendars.

everything else will either be A/S'd and set up for 2 queen system OR subject to walk away splits.

Thanks for the information much appreciated