# Plan B - backup swarm control measures



## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

I am just a rookie beekeeper. There is a lot I don't know, many critical signs I miss, and I make many mistakes. Consequently, I frequently fail in my swarm control efforts. I think I am getting a little better at swarm control each year, but I have a long way to go before I develop any confidence in this very important beekeeper skill.

Being a belt-and-suspenders kind of guy, I decided I needed a "Plan B" in addition to "opening the sides of the brood nest" technique I am using this year for controlling swarms. Wanting proximity to my roof top hives, ease of assembly, and ease of swarm retrieval led me to this:


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

Nice invention! Since it is plan B, size doesn't matter let us know if it catches anything.


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

That's the first time I have seen rooftop hives outside an urban environment.


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## snl (Nov 20, 2009)

Why did you put your hives on the roof? Seems as if they would be terrible to work?


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Tenbears said:


> That's the first time I have seen rooftop hives outside an urban environment.


The garage/shed roof is a great place for hives: most importantly, they get full sun from sunup to sundown; but, also, it frees up ground-level yard space for other uses; innocent civilians never get stung by being close to the hives; and, hive entrance activity is easily observed from the deck and from within the house.

Since the hives are so visible, many neighbors have become interested in bees and some have become beekeepers. We have an informal neighborhood beekeeping group where we all help each other with various hive tasks and extracting. Plus, I've made lots of new friends. All because the hives can be seen by everyone passing by the house.

SNL - I built stairs (located just outside the left side of the photo) to the top of the roof, so the hive are easy to access. Most of the beekeeping equipment is located in the shed directly below the hives. Except for the physical effort of carrying supers up and down the stairs (which isn't that hard), the hives are no harder to work than if they were on the ground.














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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

shinbone, how to do deal with such a large yellow jacket? :lpf:


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

jwcarlson said:


> shinbone, how to do deal with such a large yellow jacket? :lpf:


I shoot arrows into it.


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## obi735 (May 6, 2015)

Shinbone - Nice work! I especially like the use of the fencepost repair base, good idea. That will make it easy to set the trap in another location in your yard if necessary.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Scout bees checking out the swarm trap on 4-13-16.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

We briefly interrupt this swarm season to bring you . . . a snowstorm!


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Shinbone , what about that cold Colorado wind hitting them all winter long with no type of windbreak and being in the open , did they come through the winter ok , or do you move them down in the winter .


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

laketrout said:


> Shinbone , what about that cold Colorado wind hitting them all winter long with no type of windbreak and being in the open , did they come through the winter ok , or do you move them down in the winter .


The hives are on the roof 356 days a year. Yes, the wind is indeed a concern. Fortunately, the prevailing wind is from the north and the entrances face south, so the wind hits the back of the hives rather than hitting the entrances. I wish I could easily put up a wind break, but the slanted elevated roof makes that hard. Plus, we will get a few 80 mph gusts each winter, so any wind break has to be super strong, which, again, is not practical on the roof.

Still, the only time I lose hives in the winter is when they get low on food stores, which is beekeeper error, not weather induced.

I'd like to editorialize that IMHO some hobbyist beeks in the lower 48 baby their hives more than necessary. A healthy hive with good food stores in well-maintained properly vented equipment will nicely survive the winter. No quilt box, no wrapping, etc., are needed. Indeed, my hives regularly survive -20F temperatures in bare boxes with no ill affects. Hives in the northernmost states and into Canada, and at higher elevations, can benefit from some help, though. Again, this is JMHO.




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## Nabber86 (Apr 15, 2009)

You must have good balance. I would fall off that roof before I got through the first hive.


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## laketrout (Mar 5, 2013)

Neat pics Shinbone looks like you enjoy your bee's and work hard to take care of them , I am curious if you treat in your area and if you have alot of mites , how did they overwinter for you .You can keep the snow out there , we have had two snow storms this April which is kind of unusual .


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Plan B.2

I added a 2nd swarm trap, this one a 10-frame deep. I also swapped out the nuc for an 8-frame deep on the 1st swarm trap.


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## bbbthingmaker (Sep 26, 2010)

Idea ! Hang the trap on a single bolt so that it pivots as it is lowered. Probably doesn't really matter though. DWW


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Yup. Next year.


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## Striider (Apr 21, 2014)

Full sun eh? I guess I am babying mine too much!


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Yes. Pretty much full sun from sunrise to sunset. I give them some shade during the two hottest months of the year. I never see any bearding.


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

"_What we've got here is a failure to communicate._" (Swarm eschews the carefully set-up swarm trap to cluster on the outside)


Came home to this, today. This is the second time a swarm has decided to cluster on the outside of the swarm trap, rather than move in. The first one got away before I could get home to hive it.





























So, the swarm was hived the old fashion way - with brush, old 10-frame deep, and a ladder.











At least I didn't loose the bees. All's well that ends well, I guess.


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## Norcalkyle (Apr 23, 2015)

Good for you. My wife would kill me or leave me if I used beehives for roof art.


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## Striider (Apr 21, 2014)

Were those swarms from your hives or elsewhere?


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

they must want south facing entrance!


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## shinbone (Jul 5, 2011)

Striider said:


> Were those swarms from your hives or elsewhere?


I did not see them swarm, so I can't say where they came from. But, I am pretty sure each came from my hives.


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## My All For Him (Jan 18, 2017)

I love the setup shinbone! I'm curious though, why wouldn't you just set the swarm trap up on your roof as well? Marvin


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