# Secret to successful Baithive trapping - Firewood, driftwood, bark



## ABK (May 9, 2016)

How would one explain this?


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

Bay area SeaSide bees.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I'm afraid swarm trapping has led Ollie down a dark path of delusion.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Poor, Ollie. He has lost his minds!
When will he snap out of it?


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

Well I was thanking hogwash myself - But didn't want to offend anybody


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## rwlaw (May 4, 2009)

Frank calls it feng shui, could be called a talisman, totem etc.
With only one swarm this year, my power bricks ain't working so good.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I caught my very first swarm in a place surrounded by about three cords of fire wood. However, yesterday morning I had a bunch of scouts looking over the same trap and though out the day they become less and less and less and less till nothing. There must be something that works better.
Cheers
gww


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

A good stack of boxes out in the open with a lid - Works for me


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

beepro said:


> Poor, Ollie. He has lost his minds!
> When will he snap out of it?


He's becoming more like the renegade Col. Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. We're all starting to worry about him!


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## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Even if it does not improve Ollie's success, he has some nice pieces of art. Adds a little "class" to an otherwise just plain swarm box.

cchoganjr


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Here are a few more from this year for the Doubters. I will gladly continue to enrich myself with this magic technique that I have discovered thanks to my friend Roberto. I caught two on Friday bringing this seasons total to more than 50. That is a $5000 savings over buying packages. Doubt all you want.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I place bricks on my traps to secure my lids. Does that mean bricks attract swarms?


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

This is no secret around these parts. Old timers have been using wood chunks around here for YEARS. I've used all types of wood with success, but I started using peach several years ago. The last two years though, I have used privet with unparalleled results. The best thing about privet is that it is so plentiful and easy to get my hands on. Any swarm trapper worth his/her salt should be using this basic piece of knowledge. After all, tree limbs are what they use in the wild.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Many of you have probably enjoyed posts by _Lauri_, and here we see an _enthusiastic_ effort to trap a swarm with a 'chunk 'o wood' swarm lure ...








photo credit


... just don't overdo it!

:digging:


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Swarm lures for sale. $75 each!


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

In my yard I'm going to try using a black ski cap...stocking hat? Fill it with shipping peanuts. Spray it with swarm commander or home-made lure. (everclear and dead queens). That way I can select what branch they cluster on. Maybe I'll just put the hat on a manikin head on top of a "bait hive". 
Your sarcasm meters should be pegged on 11/10.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

There is something to this. I believe it is this: 

My catch percentage is much higher, up to 75%,! if the swarm lure is jammed under a shrub, branch, or somewhere, that has branches overhead. I was doing it to provide shade, as sun baked lures do not catch bees. But... 

If odfrank had not mentioned it, I may have never put 2+2 together. So last season, I placed every lure in a tree, or on a low branch, under a bush, it didnt matter. 2 lures, were just set on a boulder deep under a small tree. Both caught bees. Just, always under branches.

I had 1 spot, 3 swarms in the same place. 2 , got 2 swarms in each box in a month. The rest about 75%. The bees seem to have a tree nesting instinct, and this seems to trigger it. 

I dont care about the reason, but I ran out of swarm lures, and hives for them last year. 

THANK YOU ODFRANK!


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## Northwest PA Beekeeper (Mar 28, 2012)

It does make sense. 

In the wild, bees usually choose a hollow tree. Most of the time, there is wood below their hole, and wood above their hole. Many times (but not always) there are tree branches and leaves near by their entrance hole.

When they are inspecting a potential cavity (your bait hive) they are flying around it, under it (if possible) and over top. Having a bait hive out in the open, the bees can clearly determine there is no "tree" under it, beside it, or over - and they can clearly determine the size. Having a bait hive sitting on top of a tree stump, or with wood on the roof - while they can determine the inside diameter of the hive, the outside clearly looks bigger and is made of the "tree" as they are used to.

I've also added branches to the top of the hive - to add shade and also disguise it from unwanted attention from the two-legged animal.

I think odfrank is onto something here!


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## tanksbees (Jun 16, 2014)

Northwest PA Beekeeper said:


> I think odfrank is onto something here!


I'm still undecided as to whether this is real, or an elaborate prank from Ollie to try and convince all of beesource to go to great effort putting big logs on top of their bait hives.

...but the only way to know for sure is to try it, so I guess I'm going to go order some custom artisanal firewood from Smoke and Flame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBb9O-aW4zI


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## oldspice (Aug 20, 2016)

tanksbees said:


> I'm still undecided as to whether this is real, or an elaborate prank from Ollie to try and convince all of beesource to go to great effort putting big logs on top of their bait hives.
> 
> ...but the only way to know for sure is to try it, so I guess I'm going to go order some custom artisanal firewood from Smoke and Flame: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TBb9O-aW4zI


Lmao that video....

Makes sense to me- I will be trying this.


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## TimJ (Jan 17, 2017)

I will be trying my hand at swarm trapping for the first time this year. I have been reading and researching all winter. I have 12 swarm traps built and ready for spring. Maybe I am just being a sucker for an elaborate joke, but tell ya what. In his video, he says he has caught 48 swarms "this year". I have a whole stack of knobby old firewood. Won't cost me a thing....so you can bet, I will be throwing 12 pieces of firewood in the bed of the truck when I put my swarm traps out!


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Good hunting Tim. We're lucky here in the Bay Area because there is a very dense hive population. It also helps to know where other beekeepers have hives. Don't be discouraged if you only trap a few.


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

I always hang my traps in a tree. Last year I caught 6 swarms with 5 traps. Every trap I set out caught a swarm. one didn't catch anything until really late and they didn't survive but each one was a catch.


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