A DEVICE FOR DETECTING HONEY-BEES IN CAVITIES

The Schmidt-Thoenes swarm trap has come into common usage for capturing swarms and monitoring the movement of Africanized honey bees. Often the placing of these traps makes it difficult to determine if a swarm has moved in. We developed a device made of plastic pipe to solve the problem of detecting bee colonies in swarm traps and a variety of other cavities. The eight-foot-long device can be shortened into two-foot sections for traveling. By transmitting the sounds of bees to the user, the device allows colonies of bees to be distinguished from scout bees assessing a trap. The device can also be used to detect other medium-to-large colonial insects with a winged worker caste.