# it's on!



## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

mcon672 said:


> Checked 8 of 12 traps yesterday. Had three swarms! I have to assume I'm just having some beginner's luck otherwise I feel pretty foolish climbing trees and wobbly ladder setups chasing swarms these last 3 years. This is WAY easier. Show up, they are there, close door, take em home. Out of the three that were occupied the highest one was 6 feet. All three were caught with old comb and swarm commander. I have scouts checking out two others. Only problem is I'm running out of equipment (good problem to have). Having fun with the swarm trapping.


I wish I had places to put swarm traps that weren't long drives. I went and collected a swarm yesterday... chest height. I won't bother going after them if they aren't pretty easy access. Head height at a lamp post was the highest after I went 15' up on the side of a house early on last year. Been lucky that most of them have been very accessible. 

Lots of these places end up being where existing colonies are, just would be too much of a hassle to drive back and forth refreshing bait and collecting/placing equipment. I just don't see many bees here, honestly.


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## Propolis (Apr 22, 2014)

Just wondering - do you just set up your traps in the woods hoping to catch feral swarms or what guides your trap placement.

My main question is - how do I catch my own swarms? I have 14 hives that I have not split and already caught one after I saw it in a tree (I try to check every day). Would I be better off by putting a trap right there 20 feet from the hive line and say 8 feet up? Can the "trap" be a empty nuc box on a pole with some empty frames in it?


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

Propolis said:


> Just wondering - do you just set up your traps in the woods hoping to catch feral swarms or what guides your trap placement.
> 
> My main question is - how do I catch my own swarms? I have 14 hives that I have not split and already caught one after I saw it in a tree (I try to check every day). Would I be better off by putting a trap right there 20 feet from the hive line and say 8 feet up? Can the "trap" be a empty nuc box on a pole with some empty frames in it?


I've always wondered if you clipped your queens and put a "swarm trap" about 4-8 feet out from your colonies (on the ground) if you'd get her to flutter her way down and march into the trap based on not being able to go anywhere else? Obviously wouldn't work without clipping so you wouldn't catch any after swarms... but I kind of wonder if it would be feasible.


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

Trapping is fun, I agree. I made 5 traps from the fiber plant containers and have caught 7 swarms. I think we have another one by our garden to put in a hive tonight. I wasn't prepared either. We've been scrambling to get hives ready. I had no idea this would work so well. 
I have mine high up- at least 10 feet. I tried for 10-15 feet depending on the tree. I used Thomas Seeley's (Honeybee Democracy) research for placement of the traps. Thanks Mr. Seeley! 
I may try putting small swarms in a nuc- need to purchase one. Has anyone tried that and if so how did it work out? When is it too late to collect swarms? I read a Honeybee Suite post this afternoon and there was a post about July swarms. I thought after the first week in June was the cut off for the Midwest - St Louis area.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

bjverano said:


> Trapping is fun, I agree. I made 5 traps from the fiber plant containers and have caught 7 swarms. I think we have another one by our garden to put in a hive tonight. I wasn't prepared either. We've been scrambling to get hives ready. I had no idea this would work so well.
> I have mine high up- at least 10 feet. I tried for 10-15 feet depending on the tree. I used Thomas Seeley's (Honeybee Democracy) research for placement of the traps. Thanks Mr. Seeley!
> I may try putting small swarms in a nuc- need to purchase one. Has anyone tried that and if so how did it work out? When is it too late to collect swarms? I read a Honeybee Suite post this afternoon and there was a post about July swarms. I thought after the first week in June was the cut off for the Midwest - St Louis area.


They'll swarm in September (or later?) if the conditions in the hive are right. It doesn't bode well for the swarm or the mother colony.

I am 2/3 of the way through Honeybee Democracy, I don't recall placement, unless you mean what his research showed as "standard" entrance height, opening size, cavity size, etc etc. I've seen "feral" colonies with entrances knee height, chest height, head height, and about 40 feet up. I'll be honest, if it isn't reachable from the ground I'm probably not dealing with it.  Unless you're fastening them to rope or something so you can lower them as needed?


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

Yes that's what I'm referring to. I think the ht he had was 5 meters. I do use a rope and it's simple - used a ladder on 2 to get the rope over the branch but just put a weight on a rope and pitched it over for the others. Once they're up you can pull them up and down to check on them. We lowered and untied the trap and walked it over to our hives on the 4 swarms we had on our property. I freshened up the bait and then waited until the next morning and walked them back over to the tree and up it went. Really simple.
We had a swarm from one of our hives that ignored the swarm traps and chose a 3 foot pecan tree - they definitely do their own thing when and where they want. Another one went up in an oak about 18 feet. Next year we'll definitely have hives prepared and ready. This has been exhausting but so much fun.


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## jwcarlson (Feb 14, 2014)

bjverano said:


> Yes that's what I'm referring to. I think the ht he had was 5 meters. I do use a rope and it's simple - used a ladder on 2 to get the rope over the branch but just put a weight on a rope and pitched it over for the others. Once they're up you can pull them up and down to check on them. We lowered and untied the trap and walked it over to our hives on the 4 swarms we had on our property. I freshened up the bait and then waited until the next morning and walked them back over to the tree and up it went. Really simple.
> We had a swarm from one of our hives that ignored the swarm traps and chose a 3 foot pecan tree - they definitely do their own thing when and where they want. Another one went up in an oak about 18 feet. Next year we'll definitely have hives prepared and ready. This has been exhausting but so much fun.


Where did you get your fiber planters? The price is always ridiculous considering I could buy plywood and make a durable nuc for roughly the same price.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Oh.... IT'S ON!


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

I got 10 of them from Peaceful Valley online. They were $2.96 each. If you buy under 10 they are $3.29 each. They are 12 diameter and about 5 gallon. With S & H the total was $42. I followed the instruction video done by Robert Kloss on utube.
I figure my 5 swarm traps at the most cost me $55 total that's including the rope and spray can of foam insulation to fill the holes. I already had the Thompson's water seal and screws so didn't factor that price in. When you figure a package of bees is $100-!50 its' quite a savings. If you're careful with the screws you can open and re-screw them multiple times. 
No one called me to catch swarms last year so I figured I would try to catch a few myself. That's what I'll do from now on since it worked well.


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

No doubt. That's why I tried trapping this year, only one swarm call last year. Worked out well and is pretty fun. My boxes are full. I was able to give my cousin a swarm today. Hoping to get two more to give to two of my friends. I wouldn't mind having ten of the fiber pot traps. I have two. I put them where I might have trouble and save my good traps for seclued private property. Not out so much if something happens.


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