Hi Aaron & all

> They call it a "Swarm bob" or some such thing

Like so many things in beekeeping, this is something I have dabbled with :-)

In a permanent apiary you may have noticed the bees swarming on to a
preferred spot on several occasions.

The swarm bob provides a place that the bees feel 'comfortable' with and so
they use it as a clustering spot, which is useful for the beekeeper as it
simplifies collection and hiving.

The device itself is a flat (usually about 250 mm square) board with a chunk
of fabric formed into a lump about the size of a small door knob, the fabric
can be filled or impregnated with bits of old comb or propolis as an initial
attractant. The device is hung up at head height or just above with the
plate horizontal and the 'bob' mounted centrally underneath.

Scouting bees will be attracted by the smell and the cloth gives a good
foothold for the first few bees that the rest actually hang onto. The plate
provides shade from the sun and a degree of shelter from rain.

I have used old scraps of carpet formed into a tight ridge and stapled from
corner to corner of similar boards, once used they will be used again and
again and you can detach the whole device with clustered swarm and dump them
into a hive.

Well worth the effort of making, and saves a fortune in labour.


Best Regards & 73s, Dave Cushman... G8MZY
Beekeeping & Bee Breeding Website
Email: [log in to unmask] or  [log in to unmask]
http://website.lineone.net/~dave.cushman & http://www.dave-cushman.net

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