# 32 swarms in 38 traps



## WDP64

I caught 32 swarms in 38 traps is this 
Normal?


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## Rader Sidetrack

I'll venture to say that most people don't have that kind of success rate. 





... inquiring minds are curious about the details of your trap procedures ...


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## Fishmaster50

Congrats! What is your secret? What did you have in them? Any info will help.


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## Brad Bee

Normal? Um, no. 

I'm pretty familiar with Covington county, or use to be. What part of the county are you trapping in? 

Apparently I can't even catch a cold. I can hive a swarm with the best of them, but I have yet to catch one in a swarm trap.


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## rv10flyer

1 in 3 for me using old comb, last years queens in alcohol then soaked the cotton balls, lemongrass EO.


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## Michael Bush

>I caught 32 swarms in 38 traps is this Normal?

No. You should stop immediately. There is something fundamentally wrong in the universe...


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## edugan

Good for you!! I have bees flying around my traps coming in and out but so far no one has made the leap to move in!!


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## marshmasterpat

Do you have them ringed around a bee yard? 

That is impressive and we would love to know what techniques you are using.


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## WDP64

I use swarm commander in a ten frame trap , six foot high
I put on old fence rows, clear cuts, over grown fields 
And river swamps. Open land and river swamps
Has caught the best swarms . They will fill a ten frame box.
I trap in the northern 1/2 of the county


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## stavros

It's been the most swarmy year in Atlanta that I remember of. Every day there is a swarm in my neighborhood in the past week or so (some from my bees too). It's a phenomenal year. Stavros


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## Brad Bee

That's amazing. Are you using just a standard 10 frame deep? With what, comb, foundation, foundationless frames?

Very impressive. We don't have any swamps on this mountain, but we do have all the other common locations like you are catching them in.

You know any Pyrons?


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## TalonRedding

Not bad! Last year was my best year so far. I caught 30 swarms with 18 traps. Many of those were caught within a 48 hour time span. It may be a while before I see that again.


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## jadebees

You obviously have the knack of it!

I didn't have as many lures out, about 20, but my % is over 80%. Unless you consider the ,1 box that got 3 swarms,(300%) or the 2 boxes that got 2, (200%). Averaged, thats good!

All boxes need to be slathered with old propolis laden hive junk. Or well used. Use Lemongrass oil, or Swarm Commander, a good swarm lure compound.

Most important, is the conditions where you place them. Just dropping them in a field usually doesnt cut it.
Happy bee catching!


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## JRG13

I think it's been a good year for swarms. I've caught 1 and had 3 move in in 3 separate locations, doesn't seem like a lot, but most years this never happens. 2 were dinks though, maybe 2 framers, the other two were decent, 6-10 frames of bees.


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## BuckeyeBeek

WDP64 said:


> I use swarm commander in a ten frame trap , six foot high
> I put on old fence rows, clear cuts, over grown fields
> And river swamps. Open land and river swamps
> Has caught the best swarms . They will fill a ten frame box.
> I trap in the northern 1/2 of the county


Okay, that's it, I've seen enough, against my better judgement I just went to the website to fork out the 30 bucks for the 2 oz swarm commander bee perfume. I've been getting 30-40% returns on my traps using LGO but count me in on drinking the kool-aid!


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## Scpossum

I'm not saying the swarm commander is totally the reason, but I have two swarms using it. They way I figure it that is about $95x2 for packages minus $30 swarm commander.. I am still on the plus side.


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## TPalmer

I hate to admit that a snake oil that calls itself Swarm Commander actually works for me. Last year I caught over six 5 frame swarms and this year using it another seven caught. Now realise this is in my backyard on my privacy fence in an urban neighbourhood. So it was worth the cost to me.


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## jwcarlson

At current rate, I'll get my 32nd swarm call sometime in year 10.  

Awesome catch rate you're either trapping a huge area or a huge population of colonies in a small area. That's awesome!


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## SHAWHANBEEK

I have caught 12 swarms with about 22 traps set before May 1st. Swarm commander is definitely worth it..


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## WDP64

foundationless frames and traps build out 1/2 lumber
don't know any Pyrons


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## edugan

I have had 4 swarm traps out around our property since march. Lots of interested bees but no swarm catch as of yet. This is my first time trying to trap a swarm. How long is recomended to wait before changing location of the boxes??


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## BuckeyeBeek

Last year caught 2 swarms from 5 traps on LGO. So far this year caught 4 swarms out of 10 traps on LGO so batting .400. Not bad but I'm now taking my swarm trapping to the next level! Just got my bottle of swarm commander in the mail over the weekend and yesterday re-baited all my traps. I've been at work all day daydreaming because I know I'm going home tonight to 10 traps full of bees!


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## D Coates

WDP64, +84% success rate? Rock on! 38 traps? Good grief I don't even have 38 production hives.

On that note I'd all but given up on trapping considering my awful success record in the past with 5 frame nucs (10% on good years). This year I decided to try 4 passed their prime (dry rot) 10 frame deeps with a bottom screwed on, a top and a hole drilled in them with 2 frames of drawn comb in the center and 4 frames of undrawn comb on each side. The hole is under the handgrip facing the sides of the 2 drawn frames for max smell. I put one drop of lemon grass oil on the opposite side of the entrance to the box. I put 5 frame nucs out as traps with the one drawn frame between 2 undrawn frames on each side and a drop of lemongrass too.

I checked the traps this weekend and caught swarms in 3 out of 4 of the 10 frame traps. None in my 5 frame nucs. No, it's not scientific but the results speak for themselves. I'll be emptying those traps next weekend and setting them up all over again. It's only 75% success so far I'll be using the 5 frame nucs to raise and overwinter these captured swarms but I won't be using them for traps anymore!


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## challenger

WDP64 said:


> I caught 32 swarms in 38 traps is this
> Normal?


Wow! Talk about twisting the knife. What did you expect people to say? "No that's terrible! I usually catch 185 swarms when I put out 8 swarm traps" LOL. Well done. That's a great result. Think about the amount of money the bees you trapped are worth. Given today's prices of $110.00 for 3 pounds and a Grey haired queen you likely got a few grand in bees and maybe more. 
I got 11 so far out of 30 traps and I think it will slow down big time now. I'm not thrilled because it was a lot of work to get it all ready and deployed but it still beats buying bees. I hope to never buy bees or Queens. The few times I have I've gotten very poor results. 



D Coates said:


> WDP64, +84% success rate? Rock on! 38 traps? Good grief I don't even have 38 production hives.
> 
> On that note I'd all but given up on trapping considering my awful success record in the past with 5 frame nucs (10% on good years). This year I decided to try 4 passed their prime (dry rot) 10 frame deeps with a bottom screwed on, a top and a hole drilled in them with 2 frames of drawn comb in the center and 4 frames of undrawn comb on each side. The hole is under the handgrip facing the sides of the 2 drawn frames for max smell. I put one drop of lemon grass oil on the opposite side of the entrance to the box. I put 5 frame nucs out as traps with the one drawn frame between 2 undrawn frames on each side and a drop of lemongrass too.
> 
> I checked the traps this weekend and caught swarms in 3 out of 4 of the 10 frame traps. None in my 5 frame nucs. No, it's not scientific but the results speak for themselves. I'll be emptying those traps next weekend and setting them up all over again. It's only 75% success so far I'll be using the 5 frame nucs to raise and overwinter these captured swarms but I won't be using them for traps anymore!


I've done a few double five frame stacked on top of each other and I think bees are attracted ed to these slightly better
I can't site hard data on this claim. Then again most claims in beekeeping or not based on hard data either


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## D Coates

challenger said:


> I've done a few double five frame stacked on top of each other and I think bees are attracted ed to these slightly better
> I can't site hard data on this claim. Then again most claims in beekeeping or not based on hard data either


I hear you. Are you saying you found 5 frame stacked on 5 frame better that 10 frame horizontal? I've not tried the 5 on 5 in earnest but I've got the equipment.


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## challenger

Well I can't say for sure because I don't have enough time or science behind this claim BUT, that being said, I have had better success per location with two 5 frame nucs stacked on top of each other. This is a very casual and random observation. 
Maybe it all has to do with the fact that my nucs are based on your plans?  
Thanks 






D Coates said:


> I hear you. Are you saying you found 5 frame stacked on 5 frame better that 10 frame horizontal? I've not tried the 5 on 5 in earnest but I've got the equipment.


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## BuckeyeBeek

BuckeyeBeek said:


> Last year caught 2 swarms from 5 traps on LGO. So far this year caught 4 swarms out of 10 traps on LGO so batting .400. Not bad but I'm now taking my swarm trapping to the next level! Just got my bottle of swarm commander in the mail over the weekend and yesterday re-baited all my traps. I've been at work all day daydreaming because I know I'm going home tonight to 10 traps full of bees!


UPDATE: 3 more trapped swarms makes 7/10 with some swarm season left... Need to build some more equipment and the only drawn comb I have is what's left in the traps!


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## crmauch

BuckeyeBeek said:


> UPDATE: 3 more trapped swarms makes 7/10 with some swarm season left... Need to build some more equipment and the only drawn comb I have is what's left in the traps!


Do you feel the Swarm Commander works better or so far about the same as LGO?


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## BuckeyeBeek

crmauch said:


> Do you feel the Swarm Commander works better or so far about the same as LGO?


It is so hard to tell because they've both worked really well to attract swarms and there are so many factors and not a good way for me to do a scientific study. That said, I'll probably buy more SC next year as well. It's been such a great year for swarms all around.


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## flyin-lowe

The people I know in Indiana who are trapping swarms are getting huge numbers of swarms this year. I set 4 traps a few weeks ago and caught 1 within 4 days. I have talked to several beeks who have had swarms move into old equipment sitting our or into dead outs.


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## mcon672

12 trapped here (northern West Virginia ) with 18 traps so far. All 10 frame deeps with swarm commander and a bit of old comb. 10 of the traps are brand new, freshly painted equipment and have caught swarms. The next two weeks have traditionally been the peak of swarming around here so hoping for more. If it ever quits raining I'll go check them and add some swarm commander this weekend. I want them freshly scented for next week. The weather finally looks decent, warmer and less rain. I've been able to help out my friends and family with free bees which feels good. Plus it's fun. Starting to run out of equipment and places to put them which is a good problem to have. Oddly, four of them have taken up residence on the bottom of the traps this year even building comb there. Last year out of 13 trapped none of them did that. Not sure what's going on there.


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## BuckeyeBeek

BuckeyeBeek said:


> UPDATE: 3 more trapped swarms makes 7/10 with some swarm season left... Need to build some more equipment and the only drawn comb I have is what's left in the traps!


UPDATE: Just hived swarm trap #10 on Saturday and that makes 10 for 10! I did have 1 trap that did not catch a swarm but also 1 trap that caught 2 swarms about 3 weeks apart.


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## odfrank

I am up to about 54 catches, probably 75 traps, about ten percent catch fails as usual. Still have some scouting activity. 
Bringing the empties as the moths set in. I saw the queen walk in on this one as I stood amongst the incomers reveling in my catch. She came after about 3/4 of the rest. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu6tIg4EW2g


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## challenger

I've caught 25 this year in 30 traps. I had one location (3 traps) give me 5 and another location (2 traps) give me three along with several doubles. The one that gave me three was from one trap (removed and replaced with another) while the second trap only 100 feet away got nothing. 
I am removing them now as well but I have 6, or more, that have bees in them. It's dark too late AND light too early. Last time I got three traps in the early AM it was 5:00AM and I still got stung like an idiot. For night retrieval I'd have to go at 9:30 and that is too close to messing with my beauty sleep. Lord knows I need all the beauty sleep I can get. We had several days where the rain came down heavy. A couple of days ago it was raining heavy and for a few hours. I went out to see about getting these boxes of bees and they were flying like it was sunny?
Anyway, it's been a great year for trapping. I honestly don't know why people buy bees. Trapping them is way too easy and it will be easier next year as I have better set ups in mind for easier removal and replacement.


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## mcon672

We're up to 25 swarms now out of 18 traps but only 8 traps left out. I had to use the others to keep the bees in, wasn't expecting so many. It has been a great year. Turning away all cut out and swarm calls now. Did one swarm shake for my neighbors friend but that's it and only because it was 5 or 6 feet off ground in a bush and an easy shake. Thank you swarm commander!


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## strummer

I have caught 12 swarms with 14 sets this year . I use one old bar of brood comb and a squirt of swarm commander in a old pill bottle with a cotton ball in it . One place I set I have caught 5 for 5 . Just reset it for the 6 th time . This spot is on the middle of a town of about 100k people All my other traps are in the country side z


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## JonCotton

Where can I find Swarm Commander in UK/Ireland? If I have a dead queen, I put her in alcohol overnight and bottle it - That seems to work well with a few drops on a cotton bud and 2 drops on drawn comb top bar


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## BuckeyeBeek

odfrank said:


> I am up to about 54 catches, probably 75 traps, about ten percent catch fails as usual. Still have some scouting activity.
> Bringing the empties as the moths set in. I saw the queen walk in on this one as I stood amongst the incomers reveling in my catch. She came after about 3/4 of the rest.


OdFrank, the vid was awesome, thanks for sharing that. You sir are the Obi Wan Kenobi of the swarm trap.


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## oldspice

I had no idea empty Boxes could be so successful.


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## larrylwill

I would think that the more hives around your location the better the chances. I know of 1 hive in a 5 mile radius around me and I caught his swarm this spring and this week after 5 months it absconded the whole thing 23 frames of comb left behind. (top bar).


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## oldspice

Why did they do that?


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## Metis27

How is it possible that no one has asked where these swarms are now going to be living? I have a couple of spare parts but not over 30 ?!?!? 
Amazing skills by the way


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## Hancock alternate beehive

WOW !!!!

you are the MAN!!

you will have to do a youtube video to teach the rest of us mere mortals your majick!! 

Kev


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## Hancock alternate beehive

Love your system!!!

and the bark!! brilliant!!

great video 

keep them coming!!

Kev

ps YOU ARE THE MAN!! the swarm catching MAN!!


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## threehives

I am just wondering how often everyone re-applies there swarm commander. 

I am in NSW, Australia and have set 20 bait hives, all are 42ltrs capacity with 4 frames (foundationless). 
I have baited half with LGO and the other half with SC. I have not caught any swarms yet but its only just come into swarm season here.

I got the vials of SC and have put a q tip with SC on it in a clip lock bag (not closed) in the trap. I also rubbed a little on the frames before closing the box. They are all located around 3m up in trees. I am just not sure how often I should be replacing the q tip with SC on it?

hoping i can get 60%-70% success 

Cheers Phill


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## odfrank

>I am just wondering how often everyone re-applies there swarm commander.

Once a year.


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## challenger

I've gotten about (I honestly stopped counting) 32 trapped swarms from 30 traps. I still have 8 more at ached to the trees because of time and room and daylight. I only used old comb in ten frame size deep boxes. 
I suppose all these "feral" hives will all give me mite resistant colonies right??? Didn't think so


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## TexasFreedom

Hancock alternate beehive said:


> Love your system!!!
> and the bark!! brilliant!!
> great video
> keep them coming!!


Huh? I don't see a link to a video? Please help my technically-limited mind.


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## odfrank

TexasFreedom said:


> Huh? I don't see a link to a video? Please help my technically-limited mind.


Maybe this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xu6tIg4EW2g


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## rsderrick

mcon672 said:


> Oddly, four of them have taken up residence on the bottom of the traps this year even building comb there. Last year out of 13 trapped none of them did that. Not sure what's going on there.


I've had reports of this happening. The reason is that too much of the Swarm Commander Premium Swarm Lure was sprayed in the hive. It will typically repel them from the hive if you use too much. Just make sure to use less.


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## rsderrick

strummer said:


> I have caught 12 swarms with 14 sets this year . I use one old bar of brood comb and a squirt of swarm commander in a old pill bottle with a cotton ball in it . One place I set I have caught 5 for 5 . Just reset it for the 6 th time . This spot is on the middle of a town of about 100k people All my other traps are in the country side z


Love hearing the success stories. Keep em coming!!


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## Metis27

So newbie question- what r u doing with them? Building your stash or selling ?


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## Don Warren

1st year beek here. Late last winter I built 8 swarm traps using the plans from Horizontal Hive (swarm trap lite). I brushed on a coating of propolis mixed with alcohol on the inside of the box and underneath the telescoping lid. I baited the box with swarm commander. I painted the boxes white. I also but some dead tree limbs on top of the trap as per OdFrank I trapped 16 swarms using the 8 traps. I got 6 more w/o traps.

I quickly ran out of boxes to transfer them into so i had to leave several of my traps sitting in my yard with the swarms in them while I waited for Albert Zook to build some more equipment for me. So for the peak of swarm season (month of May) I only had 3 or 4 traps being used as traps. 
I concluded that catching swarms was easy until I read this thread and saw that a lot of people were having trouble getting bees to move in! Now I realize that I may have had a case of "beginners luck". 
I sold 3 swarms, had a few abscond(SHB?), and combined some and I'm now overwintering 9 colonies. 
I've built more traps this winter so I'll have 24 swarm traps to use this spring.


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## Scpossum

Metis27 said:


> So newbie question- what r u doing with them? Building your stash or selling ?


Catch and release?


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## Tavery

Last year was our first to set out actual swarm traps away from our yards, so nothing to compare to previous years. We were attempting to capture in places that we believed not to be near managed bees. 18 for 22 was our take. 3 of those were a two for one(same set captured two swarms last year) we will definitely continue this experiment. 15 of the 18 have survived(so far). Some were small (three frames)and not worth the effort really. It was a lot of effort building traps and checking traps in remote locations. But if we introduced 'survivor ' genetics into our bee yards that turn out desirable that is the goal. Of course we might simply be inviting bees that swarm 'at the drop of a hat', 'catch and release' if you will, If having more honey production is the short term goal? my experience says this is NOT time well spent. If you enjoy running around climbing ladders and packing stuff in pursuit of bees of unknown origin? Then this is for you! I would say with the time ,materials, gas, effort, spent we could have managed 30 more hives instead of chasing these remotes swarm traps. It was fun and nobody got hurt though.


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## larrylwill

I just built 4 swarm traps. There are no honey bees around here, we hardly never see any in the yard during the summer. I do not know any bee yards around here either. So I have no choice but to place them in the woods and hope. I am going to put 3 starter frames with some lemon grass oil on a Q tip in each. 2 are build out of wood and 2 out of green pvc sheet. Last year my neighbor bought a 3 lb box and in the summer it swarmed about 5 lbs of bees and I saw it on a low bush and got it. But this summer both my hives died. I found out no food we were having a drought. I quickly told my neighbor as soon as I found out to start feeding his, he did and just before the cold they stopped feeding. He wrapped up what he thought was an empty box. Yesterday he said he saw some bees around the box and uncovered it and said it had bees in it, he thought he cought a swarm. However he never opened the box last year so I suspect they just clustered for the winter and lucky he covered the box with canvas. So at least he has something to start with. Who knows maybe they will swarm again this year.


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## Tavery

Larrylwill, I am sure if you put some old brood comb frames in your traps and place them in some buddies tree stands you will have good luck. How deep are your boxes? Ours are about 19 inches deep and 6 frames wide with 1/2 inch by 4 inch entrances. Worked like a charm for our area. Good luck!


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## larrylwill

I put out 3 boxes today. There about 17" long, 14" wide and 14" deep. There small top bar configuration. I put 3 frame starters about 2" of wax foundation in each box and some lemon grass oil on a Q tip. I put 1 on a tree near a pond in the deep woods, another near another pond in a pine forest and a 3rd in my front yard. Each about 8' high. I don't know where any tree stands are or have any buddies that have any. I have 2 more I made but have not put them out yet. If I knew where some bee yards were I would put them near them. I have lived here 8 years and never seen a swarm. When I lived in South Alabama I saw 3.


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## Tavery

Near water seems to help. Reading about bloom dates in AL it sounds like your just in time. If you can find some old brood comb to add in it sounds like you've got the right set up. Hope you get ya some big swarms. Be sure and feed them to help get some comb and brood going for a strong hive by fall. I did swarms both fed and UN fed.... only the fed survived the summer and fall for us. We have a serious lack of bee forage in the late summer here..


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## gww

My first year I put a bunch of traps in deer stands. I have decided never again. They are just too hard to carry up and down the steps. The swarms I ended up catching were on platforms at about arms lenght hight and I don't doubt what seeley says about 15 feet but after collecting a few it seems much safer and easier to just put the traps in easier places. I was also surpized that the really good places I thought I would catch bees were not where I caught them. Instead I caught them on the side of a tree over a junk car or beside the door of my garage.

I actually lowered some I left out all year to where I don't have to stand on anything to harvest the trap.
Cheers
gww

Ps I do have a couple at deer stands but just down on the side of the tree and not up in the stand.


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## larrylwill

Just remembered I just put 2 starter frames in. I do have some comb I saved from last year but Im afraid I will only catch wax moths if I use them instead. I could swap them out. Last year my neighbor who had bought a 3lb box of bees in the spring threw a swarm in the summer. I had just built 2 swarm boxes and had one in a tree in my front yard about 300ft from his hive and another one on my back porch sitting on a table, not yet put anywhere. I was looking out the window and saw a lot of bees flying around the one on the back porch. which was about 500ft from his hive and not in site of it. I then looked out the front and saw more bees around the box in the tree, so I started looking for the swarm and it had landed about 15ft from his hive and on a bush about 1ft off the ground. I got a cardboard box and dumped them about 5-7 lbs a big one and then put them in my top bar body and they did great until they starved, by the time I saw them dwindling it was too late to save them only about 1lb left. He has since moved his hive to another house he owns, so i wont catch his swarm this year.


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## wanderyr

odfrank said:


> ...Bringing the empties as the moths set in...


Hi odfrank, that is the best picture ever! 

A question about the second picture, though: Once the moths do this, do you have to throw out the frame? Or can you freeze it, clean it up a bit, and put it back in a swarm trap?

Thanks!


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