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    #61
    Originally posted by RiverRat1 View Post
    I know I have bees on my property. Found a couple wild hives. I'd like to catch a swarm. Advice?
    I use a home-made 5 frame nuc box with a frame or two of drawn comb, with a squirt or two swarm commander attractant. Go over to YouTube, search barnyard bees-building 5 frame nuc boxes, he has the how to and dimensions on there for building them out of plywood.

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      #62
      I forgot, set one or two of the nuc boxes about 50-100 ft. from any existing hives you know about.

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        #63
        Originally posted by tex4k View Post
        I forgot, set one or two of the nuc boxes about 50-100 ft. from any existing hives you know about.


        As in your neighbor’s hives? [emoji41]


        Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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          #64
          I am in northern Burnet county, if anyone is looking to relocate some hives you are welcome to put some out here. PM if you are interested. No charge.

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            #65
            Originally posted by tex4k View Post
            I use a home-made 5 frame nuc box with a frame or two of drawn comb, with a squirt or two swarm commander attractant. Go over to YouTube, search barnyard bees-building 5 frame nuc boxes, he has the how to and dimensions on there for building them out of plywood.
            I built two of those. Reviews are mixed wether swarm commander works or not.

            And I don't have any comb as I don't have hives yet...

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              #66
              Originally posted by RiverRat1 View Post
              I built two of those. Reviews are mixed wether swarm commander works or not.

              And I don't have any comb as I don't have hives yet...
              Can't speak for anyone else but I've used swarm commander for 3-4 yrs now, if there's bees in the area they'll come check it out, they might like someplace else better, but they will come check it, that's why I like to throw some comb in there with it, they really like drawn comb, the swarm commander just helps them find it. If you know any beekeepers close you might try to talk them out of some, it doesn't have to be a full frame, just a 3-4" piece will do. And if you get any put it in the freezer for a few days to kill any parasites, I had some old comb in a box last year, a swarm moved in, the hive beetles hatched and about wiped them out before I could get anything done.

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                #67
                Meanwhile, in the land of Yankees, the nanny state knows better than the people do:

                Michigan residents lost their “right to farm” this week thanks to a new ruling by the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development. Gail Philburn of the Michigan Sierra Club told Michigan Live, the new changes “effectively remove Right to Farm Act protection for many urban and suburban backyard farmers raising small numbers of animals.” […]

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                  #68
                  Originally posted by RiverRat1 View Post
                  I'd like to catch a swarm. Advice?
                  They also like real lemongrass oil because it supposedly smells like honeycomb. Put a few drops on a q-tip, put it in a plastic bag with a few small holes in it, and put it in a swarm trap or nuc box with some old comb, and you might get lucky.

                  Originally posted by El General View Post
                  I'd like to get in on that. I'll split hog_down's drinks with you MetalMan2004.
                  Sounds good, now its a party!

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                    #69
                    We started last year with 2 nucs for ag exemption help and they expanded to very successful hives. So far they've done good through the winter, we had some concerns in the cold snaps but the other day it was warm and they both were VERY active.
                    We have 2 new, empty hives so we can split our current 2 hives soon. Still have the 2 old nuc hives from last year, just in case we have a swarm or two but if we split early enough, maybe we won't have that issue.
                    Is really interesting and fun but when they have lots of honey, they will become very defensive ... fair warning, new people!

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                      #70
                      Originally posted by tdwinklr View Post
                      We started last year with 2 nucs for ag exemption help and they expanded to very successful hives. So far they've done good through the winter, we had some concerns in the cold snaps but the other day it was warm and they both were VERY active.
                      We have 2 new, empty hives so we can split our current 2 hives soon. Still have the 2 old nuc hives from last year, just in case we have a swarm or two but if we split early enough, maybe we won't have that issue.
                      Is really interesting and fun but when they have lots of honey, they will become very defensive ... fair warning, new people!
                      I pull around 1200# of honey off of my bees each year, they are as laid back the day I pull deeps full of capped honey as they are the day I give them their routine checks about every 10th day. Rain, heavy clouds and fog can make them somewhat irritable imo not the amount of honey they have capped.

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                        #71
                        Originally posted by RiverRat1 View Post
                        I know I have bees on my property. Found a couple wild hives. I'd like to catch a swarm. Advice?
                        If you know of the wild hives why not just force them to abscond or trap them out? I've had great success many times doing both.

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                          #72
                          Originally posted by hog_down View Post
                          They also like real lemongrass oil because it supposedly smells like honeycomb. Put a few drops on a q-tip, put it in a plastic bag with a few small holes in it, and put it in a swarm trap or nuc box with some old comb, and you might get lucky.


                          Sounds good, now its a party!
                          Real lemongrass oil does not smell like honeycomb but instead it mimics the smell omitted by the nasonov gland bees have. when they are fanning near an entrance after you've caught the queen they are fanning their nasonov glands. it does smell like lemongrass oil. when hey are attacking you defensively they emit pheromone that smells exactly like ripe bananas. I've caught some rowdy bees that wanted to sting me to death on many occasions and still been able o smell the ripe banana smell after I've gotten in my truck and put my jacket in the floorboard.

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                            #73
                            Originally posted by RiverRat1 View Post
                            I know I have bees on my property. Found a couple wild hives. I'd like to catch a swarm. Advice?
                            Might help if you give all you have an tried so far.

                            Its either you have the a problem with the trap, bait, or location/timing.

                            I like this video
                            [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STvW6pb1j68&t=3s"]Swarm Traps: What you need to know, to be successful. - YouTube[/ame]

                            he has a lot of other good videos on beekeeping.

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                              #74
                              Originally posted by RascalArms View Post
                              Hey John, the beekeeper that tends to my 9 hives at my property is the President of the North East Texas Bee Association and lives in Canton. PM me if you would like me to get you in touch with him. He would probably be more than willing to help you out.
                              I’m pretty sure they have meetings on a fairly regular basis as well.
                              i am in Walton . ~12 miles from Canton

                              I would appreciate contact info

                              bill

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                                #75
                                I have 3 hives and two more coming in april

                                bill

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