# Relocate swarm trap?



## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

I'm a first year swarm trapper and am curious what folks think about the length of time one should leave a swarm trap in a given spot if no scouts have been observed. I'm in central LA and I've heard if a few swarms being caught in the last 3 weeks. My traps have been out for 2 weeks. I but them to the dimensions of a langstroth deep, baited with a few drops of lemongrass oil, and placed at about 10 ft on trees. I'm new to bees so I have no old comb. I placed 3 frames with a starter strip of foundation in each trap. Being anxious and excited, I've checked them multiple times per week and haven't seen any scouts around several of them. Should I move them or wait and see? Thank you for any suggdstikna, CWJ


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## dott (Aug 1, 2015)

I left 1 out for 3 months last year. If there no ferial hives in the woods or any other beekeeper in the area your chances low. I had my trap on my property line where I knew there have been some bees in 2 different trees but my neighbor had a lot of logging done


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>I have no old comb. I placed 3 frames with a starter strip of foundation in each trap.

If you catch one with that, I will give you the Master Baitor Award.


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## R_V (Aug 20, 2016)

odfrank said:


> >I have no old comb. I placed 3 frames with a starter strip of foundation in each trap.
> 
> If you catch one with that, I will give you the Master Baitor Award.


LOL... funny, cause that's exactly what I did 



aumfc said:


> What sort of trap are you using? I'm hoping to set something up Sunday.





R_V said:


> simple 8 foot long 1x12 board cut to the width and length of a hive body. ply wood top and bottom. one and a half inch hole on the side. the bees were digging it yesterday.
> https://youtu.be/359SLu1xvb0
> 
> I had just placed on my deck. was planning to move it into a tree but they found it first


I put a couple of foundationless frames with 2 wax coated plastic foundation frames between them for lack of any old comb....


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Use a heat gun/hairdryer to melt a little propolis and wax inside


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

CWJ said:


> I placed 3 frames with a starter strip of foundation in each trap.


Is three the total number of frames in each box? Once I put a trap up, it typically does not come down unless there are bees in it, or to refresh the scent. Yet, many are not ten feet up


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## Scott Gough (Dec 10, 2015)

I put my traps up and leave them for the season. I am debating weather or not to put some back where I did not catch any last year. It will probably depend upon weather I have new spots for them. 

This will me the third year trapping. The first year I only had 3 traps and caught bees at every location. I did not have any drawn comb so I just put frames with foundation in a trap similar to those found on horizontalhive.com. I was pleased with catching 4 swarms. 

Last year I put up 10 or 11 traps and caught 8 swarms. So I have several locations that had a trap all of last year and did not catch any bees. I will probably put some of those back because they are in what should be a good area. Others will be moved to new spots. If you have not done so already check out letmbee.com for tips on where to put the traps. Jason has many good tips on swarm trapping on that site.


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

Yes, 3 frames per trap. Thank you all for the. Informative replies. Just impatient I guess. Maybe I should leave them be awhile longer.


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## Kenww (Apr 14, 2013)

Did you use lemon grass oil or Nasonov?

I'd leave them all summer unless you find some place you're sure is better, and then I'd just build more traps


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

CWJ said:


> Should I move them or wait and see?


Are they reasonably shaded?


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## kengineer (Jul 4, 2015)

If you were to go to your local library and check out (or even buy it) and read a book named Honeybee democracy by Thomas Seeley you would be miles ahead. The book is written by a bee genius and explains what bees look for from their perspective. 

Thomas has been in love with bees and driven to understand what bees love since he was a small boy. He was lucky enough to be employed as a researcher with funding to do great research. The book lays out secrets of swarms that may take a lifetime of careful observation to garner, if you were extremely good. 

I have set out swarm traps in the past and even had some success, but this book has so much insight into what bees want that I am looking forward to many more free bees this season.


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## kengineer (Jul 4, 2015)

CJW, 

If you want to give me your mailing address, I will send you some old comb. 

Ken


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

I appreciate all of the advice so much. I am using straight lemongrass oil as bait at this point. The frames with starter strip I have are wax coated rite cell. The 10 traps are all get some sun during the day but none are in full sun. I tried to face them southeast for whatever that's worth. I will check into the book by Seeley. He is quoted so often on this forum I feel ashamed for not having read it yet.


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

also, I placed them within 100 yds of water.


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## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

I'm on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain. Brought home my first caught swarm Tuesday and have bees in 4 other traps. All the ones with bees are near or over water. I've got tons of old comb from hives I've removed and I rubber band it in frames. I'll send you some as well. Good black, smelly comb. You can also melt wax and paint the inside.


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## Riverderwent (May 23, 2013)

Don't overdo the lemon grass oil (4 drops every 10 days or so; more may repel the bees), and keep the starter strips short (an inch or so up and down; they can be as wide as you choose).


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## Sharpbees (Jun 26, 2012)

Water sources are great places for traps, they really don't need to be much higher than shoulder level though.. I prefer to use Nasnov but that's just personal preference. Swarm trapping is like fishing, the more lines you have the better chance of catching something. I leave my traps out all season starting in Mar. Good luck!


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## fieldsofnaturalhoney (Feb 29, 2012)

CWJ said:


> Yes, 3 frames per trap.


Why not put all of the frames that will fit in? You may end up with something like this, & are forced to cut comb out


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## MadAnt (Jul 23, 2016)

odfrank said:


> >I have no old comb. I placed 3 frames with a starter strip of foundation in each trap.
> 
> If you catch one with that, I will give you the Master Baitor Award.


I have old comb, but in curiocity of your MBA i will set couple traps with starter strips only.


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## Matt_inSC (May 12, 2015)

I have minimal experience with swarm traps but...
An old friend who's a beek put a bait hive on my dad's well head (30" off the ground) in 2015 and never got a swarm. He left it there through the year and he caught two in it in 2016 (and gave my dad one of them). I heard 2016 was a good swarm year but don't know about 2015.


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## Farmercal (May 19, 2015)

The only swarm trap I have used is our travel trailer cord container. No frames, no scent, just an empty box with a hole. This year that swarm is two deeps and building like crazy.


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## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

Farmercal said:


> The only swarm trap I have used is our travel trailer cord container. No frames, no scent, just an empty box with a hole. This year that swarm is two deeps and building like crazy.


That's what got me started with bees! About 4 years ago I had bees in the cord compartment of our camper as well. I had to fight them from coming back for the next 2 years!


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

Thanks again for all of the advice.


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

I think my buddy and I may have a small swarm....couple dozen bees in and around entrance and some coming from a distance entering. Didn't see pollen being brought in Sunday but my buddy went by this evening near dark and in the rain and shined a light in box and could see a small cluster of bees .


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## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

If there is a cluster of bees there at night, you have a swarm! Might be small now, but if thats a good Queen they will be humming along in no time! Congrats.


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

Thanks for reply. And thanks for offering to send us some old comb the other day. Im reluctant to give out much info about myself but it was gracious of you to offer. Didnt you recently catch a swarm or nearly so? All the posts on the forums run together after awhile.


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## RedHalo (Apr 24, 2016)

CWJ said:


> Thanks for reply. And thanks for offering to send us some old comb the other day. Im reluctant to give out much info about myself but it was gracious of you to offer. Didnt you recently catch a swarm or nearly so? All the posts on the forums run together after awhile.


Oh, you are welcome! Easy. PM me if you need anything. I understand keeping info quiet. YES! I struck out last year with traps, but studied and read for a while and learned from last years mistakes. I've caught 4 this week with 7 traps out! Even did a cut out in Slidell Sunday and brought home a real nice colony. Problem is I'm out of hardware now, so I'm giving the swarms to friends who want get into bees, or had bees and lost them. Pretty cool. May see about selling some to pay back the few dollars I have in, but that takes the fun out.


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

I really appreciate i, will do. 4 of 7, that's some good %. And I understand the feeling. I sort of made up my mind to get 2 nucs to put in langstroth hives and then got into swarm trapping on a whim with a buddy. So we may have one and I find myself slapping together a topbar hive just to see what happens...you veterean bee folks are probably shaking your heads...from what I read I guess we will just try to move the trap one evening the 25 mules back to my place and the next morning attach the comb to the top bars with rubber bands? If we move it that far, there should be no orientation problems????


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Good luck with your swarm! On my second year of attempting to swarm trap. I too have the problem of no old brood comb. I even asked some beekeepers last year I thought I knew fairly well, and they weren't willing to part with any. Put up some of my traps this week, with a few more to follow. Last year only had one trap that had any nibbles (one possible scout bee sitting in entrance to trap) and that trap was problematic (blew down at least twice). The yard gets bees (clover), but there's only a row of trees (spruce) that don't provide much shade. Had to put up a pole to suspend trap. I have two pretty good spots picked out based on looking at the location, I'm hoping by getting my traps out earlier, I'll have better luck.

I've also gotten the impression that swarm trapping in eastern PA isn't really that successful (any commenters?). One trapper I did communicate with on this forum lives in eastern PA, but does all this trapping in western PA.

Also have toyed with this idea: Do some beelining, and even if don't find the actual nests, get close enough that it might be a good location to put up a trap. Thoughts?


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## CWJ (Mar 14, 2017)

Crmauch, I lve read about the beelining and it sounds fun to try but it'd be my luck I would end up in a neighbor's yard. So far the traps we've had activity around are all near (within a few yards) of water


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