# Swarm Traps



## Ronnie Elliott (Mar 24, 2004)

After reading on BeeSource about applying melted beeswax with foam roller applicator to plastic frames, is a hit. Our swarm date here in North East Texas, is around April 15. I put my swarm traps out on April Fools' Day, just got to excited, and wanted the bees to know where the vacant available housing is ready to be moved into. Yesterday having coffee before church with wife, still no bees, but when we returned, there were maybe 20-30 Italians maybe from a bee tree 100-yards south from my house. The bees are back this morning, I hope thats a good sign?


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

Sounds like scout activity! Good luck and keep us informed of your progress.


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## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

I had honeybees climbing all over boxes and frames before foundation was even in them. And this was before I even had any bees (this is my first year and I was building equipment). Wax coated foundation increased the curious count.

I've caught swarms before I knew what I was doing. Someone dropped off an old hive in the drive (to convince us to keep) and a swarm moved in two days later. Not knowing anything, I moved them after a week about 100 foot and they were gone two days later. Oh well.

Now that I've got two boxes hived, I am going to put up a few more and see what might move in. We have a pretty hard cold coming tonight (the last of the year, I hope) so will wait a few days, first. 

Good luck.


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## Ronnie Elliott (Mar 24, 2004)

GT: Once the Bess have moved in hive, you can't move them but a couple of feet at a time, it's all about orientation. So get you an apiary location, where your neighbors won't notice them. Scared of the Africanized bees, I live in Texas, and have never run across them. I was watching the bees yesterday afternoon sitting in the shade, and started getting bumped without any protection. That a sign to get up, and backtrack out of there, slow walk. I'll go again today, see if we can be friends yet, I just did a split last Thursday. I don't think they are real Happy with me. I'll go back into hives this Thursday again to see if I can find some capped queen cells, and eggs, which will tell me, all is well


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## snapper1d (Apr 8, 2011)

Ronnie you may have already missed some swarms.I am in El Dorado,Arkansas and started catching 3 weeks ago.They are early this year with the warm winter.But the scout bees are out looking at your boxes is a good sign!


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## Green Tractor (Mar 31, 2016)

Ronnie Elliott said:


> GT: Once the Bess have moved in hive, you can't move them but a couple of feet at a time, it's all about orientation. So get you an apiary location, where your neighbors won't notice them. Scared of the Africanized bees, I live in Texas, and have never run across them. I was watching the bees yesterday afternoon sitting in the shade, and started getting bumped without any protection. That a sign to get up, and backtrack out of there, slow walk. I'll go again today, see if we can be friends yet, I just did a split last Thursday. I don't think they are real Happy with me. I'll go back into hives this Thursday again to see if I can find some capped queen cells, and eggs, which will tell me, all is well


Thanks for the advice. Those old hives were dropped in my drive by a brother-in-law who was carting them from WI, after yet another brother-in-law talked my wife into beekeeping. So I had unexpected hives, which ended up full of unexpected bees right near the house door. Seeing as how somebody (wife, ahem) didn't even clue me in that we were going to keep bees...I was a bit out of sorts on what to do.

Fast forward two years and I have the old hives boxes and won't trust them until I can clean and sanitize them. But I took a class and have new equipment across the board for the six packages we are hiving this year (two done, four to go). Oh, and now the wife informs me this is _my_ hobby. 

So it goes.


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## Gazelle (May 17, 2015)

Going good in nor Cal too! Caught one and put up another. 2 days later it's stuffed again! Fun, crazy stuff!


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## Ferg (Aug 7, 2015)

Ronnie Elliott, I am Tyler, have my traps out, no luck so far, I do know several folks that have captured swarms this spring in East Texas. Good Luck


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## Ronnie Elliott (Mar 24, 2004)

I put my 8-frame, 5-bait hives out April 1, scouts no they are their, but no luck. I have been redoseing every Friday with 3-drops lemmon grass oil, inside, & and around hole. Might cut back this week on the inside. At least I did a split this early spring, with 3-acres of chrimson clover. These heavy rains & high winds evey few days haven't helped either


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