Thanks guys. It is high time I put in a Buzzy Bee Shop order.
Thanks guys. It is high time I put in a Buzzy Bee Shop order.
[QUOTE=Black Comb;16712]Anyone used a Taranov board............................................. .............................
Yes I used a Taranov board, purely as an experiment in the interests of scientific research, you understand. It has the not inconsiderable advantage of being cheap and easy to make. I found it to be a good way of "bleeding" off a swarm if one was to be away for a few days or if a swarm which was emerging ran into a localised shower of rain and repaired to the hive for shelter - they could be usefully introduced to the good Mr Taranov when the "rain" stopped.
[QUOTE=Bumble;17941]Yes I would. It is my belief that a taranov swarm is as close to a natural swarm as one can get. A natural swarm i.e. the one hanging off a tree branch, contains bees of all ages, perhaps a preponderance of wax builders and younger bees. Whatever the exact make up is, I don't think it can be replicated accurately by an artificial swarm, I often wonder if that is the reason why an artificial swarm sometimes absconds.
If one is fortunate enough to be about when a hive is at the point of swarming; bees climbing around the face of the hive or circling and are then driven back into the hive with an "artificial shower", a taranov s. made then should be very satisfactory.
From what I've seen, if the bees are close to swarming the Taranov board works very well and the further they are from swarming the smaller the swarm will be. The other disadvantage is one will have a disproportionate amount of hive bees - these will be inhibited from flying back because of the gap between board and hive and the brood must suffer as a result - just my own thoughts. One thing I may experiment with, is somehow having a nuc box under the board to save having to shake the bees into a hive / box. Getting them ready packaged is advantageous. Does anyone else have thoughts on this?
I've only read about doing this, and thought it was something I might try this year.
I thought I might try doing the same, using a box with a lid partly open, with frames inside.
I couldn't see any reason why the nuc shouldn't be positioned at 90 degrees to the original hive, with a board resting on top above an opening in the lid.
But, I've never done it and so don't really know the potential pitfalls - or is that the wrong word to use?
Dave Cushman hinted at having designed a box or lid of some sort to use with this board. He never published details, so perhaps he did not complete it or there were problems still to be overcome. Unless someone has some information and shares it, we have a blank canvas.
The pitfall with your proposed setup could possibly be the propensity of bees to travel upwards rather than downwards. The opposite way to rain is how a rather erudite chap was once heard describing it!
Perhaps if the nuc was parallel to the hive and at the very end of the ramp i.e. 4" from the hive and the bees had no choice but to walk over the top bars it might work? Another thought is, having something to trap the queen and hold her - there would be a cluster around her which could possibly hang into the nuc.? Just thoughts - any others from anybody?
The box under sounds good but in practice it is not that difficult to shake a swarm into a box. They are usually a bit "dopey" and soon settle down.
Raining again today ggrrrr!!
looks like swarming will be the least of my worries this season
We are forecast to have a week of cold and windy weather.. after 3 days of warm weather. Ideal conditions to promote swarming.
Bait hive located 4 meters up a dead willow tree.. on a bee flight path - to a load of lime trees which will soon be in flower.
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