# Updated list of Swarm Trap BMP's



## ABK (May 9, 2016)

Seems like a lot of people are going by Dr. Seeley's publications on swarm trap best management practices. This is the list of features that he's found to be ideal for bees (entrance hole size, volume of box, height on tree, etc.) I've been noticing that in reality, people, including myself, tend to catch swarms under conditions that don't quite agree with the established ideals. So I had an idea of using our vast network of beekeepers on this forum to gather more data about our successful swarm traps to improve our understanding of what the absolute best way is to approach a swarm trap build and location.

What features did your successful swarm traps have? This is multiple choice so select everything that applied to your setup.


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## Fishmaster50 (Apr 30, 2015)

Yes I had a ten,eight,sixand five frame boxes with one old comb and some foundation some starter strips. But I did have swarm sommander in them all. And I drilled two 3/4 holes side by side and jig sawed the extra out for a entrance.


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

That's what I've been doing for my entrances too. I know people recommend landing boards and all that fancy stuff, but seeing as how bees survive and thrive for years in people's houses and stuff where they have to squeeze through tiny holes with no place to land, I think that's a luxury that they can do without.

What does swarm commander have in it? I'm assuming it's a combination of LGO and pheromones?


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

Interesting results. Of course, based on 9 voters, but already seeing trends.

5 frame nuc and 10 frame hive size boxes have had the same success.. Could it be that when Seeley, et. al. have been experimenting with different box sizes, their increments were too large, so that their box was either 40 liter, 100 liters, or 5 liters? A 5 frame nuc is about 22 liters and seems to work just as well according to this poll so far.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

I catch them in 8 frame, & 10 frame Lang, "long Warre" made of 8 frame junk boxes, regular size Warre , and used to put out 5 frame nucs. I put 2 at each location, different size. The bigger ones may only a tiny bit better, but twice as much bulk. The size is a marginal issue.

I'm at about 50% so far this year. Using a lot of grubby old propolis, and LGO type swarm lure inside all the boxes. The only old comb is smeared inside with a torch, and putty knife. (Defeats moths).

I dont think the bees read Seeley's research papers.


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## Reef Resiner (Jun 9, 2015)

Zero success with anything much smaller than a cavity size of a 10 frame hive so far. I basically cookie cut someone's strategy from this site that uses seeleys rule of thumb for cavity space. Made a 5 frame nuc but it's about twice as tall. The entrance is a bit smaller than an inch and a half. I tie the trap to a tree about 3-5 feet off the ground.

Bait is Swarm Commander. Also been using 1 frame of old brood comb per trap. This set up has been extremely successful for me.


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

We're starting to see a trend here in these poll's statistics. Although only 20 people participated.. 4,602 active members on this forum and only 20 participated.. come on guys.


What's in Swarm Commander that makes it so popular?


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

ABK said:


> Interesting results. Of course, based on 9 voters, but already seeing trends.
> 
> 5 frame nuc and 10 frame hive size boxes have had the same success.. Could it be that when Seeley, et. al. have been experimenting with different box sizes, their increments were too large, so that their box was either 40 liter, 100 liters, or 5 liters? A 5 frame nuc is about 22 liters and seems to work just as well according to this poll so far.


I can't vote, as I've had no success 

Somewhere on the forum, someone had heard Seeley speak and at the speech he indicated a wider range of sizes were tested than sometimes indicated by his articles. 

Remember, in Seeley's testing, he was giving the hives a choice between two boxes. That's how the "ideal" size of 40 Liters was decided upon. (i.e. if the bees have a choice between two boxes otherwise identical, they like the size around 40 liters the best.) So if your box is smaller than 40, and you have no other competition (or your box is superior for other reasons), a smaller box would work.

I think also (unless the bees are AHB), anything below 15 Liters was unacceptable.


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

Wonder if he did test other sizes. Because if he tested like 30, 35, 40, 45 liters, etc. in those increments and found 40 to outperform every time, then that's a solid result. 

Unfortunately in my neck of the woods, even if I provide the 40 liters and follow every other guideline, there are a looot of maples with natural cavities that the bees seem to prefer. There are probably other factors such as if a forager bee has visited a cavity prior to the intention to swarm, maybe she remembers it and returns to it when they have swarmed, and upon finding a suitable spot, they won't go on to look for something better for much longer. 

I don't remember where I read this, but someone mentioned that in Russia, people set out water jugs as feeders near their traps to attract foragers. Once the forager knows about the trap there, she'll more readily return to it when she's tasked with finding a new home for her swarm.

Similarly, if the maples tend to leak sugary sap through the cracks in the spring, and the bees find it by smell and harvest it, they are well acquainted with all the trees that have these cavities.


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## Reef Resiner (Jun 9, 2015)

I should have mentioned, the traps I made are 45 liters in volume. I'm not sure what a 10 frame hive is, probably close to 40? I didn't catch anything in the 10 frame hives than again I couldn't get them higher than a foot.

The smaller traps didn't do anything, I had them set up with my 45 liter traps. Smaller traps were just a custom nuc I made that were 5 or 6 framers.


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## ABK (May 9, 2016)

We got a good response to this thread last year, but I'm just bumping it to get any more input from people who haven't participated yet.


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## hankstump (Jul 30, 2014)

The all knowing website says that I voted last year, though I don't remember doing that. None the same, here is my recipe that has been good for 6 swarms this year.

10 frame box, as old as I can get it.
solid bottom board and top. Usually screwed on. 
One frame of black brood comb, and one or two frame of foundation next to it, furthest from the entrance.
Rest of the box is full of foundation-less frames, or frames with 1" starter strips.
2" entrance or so. 
Swarm Commander usually, until I run out, then LGO. Refresh every 3-4 weeks. 
3-15 Feet high, and a place where you could see it easily from 20 feet up. 
Partial or light shade. 
I usually have about 10 boxes out in different locations. Neighbors are usually happy to host a trap in their yard. 

Usually leave them in the same box for a month or so before I transfer the bees and frames to some other boxes. 
I always put a trap back in the magic spot that caught a swarm, incase another is right behind it. 

Phil in Fremont.


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