# Medium 8 Frame Swarm Trap



## Beev (Jul 16, 2011)

I wanted to be able to use old boxes to either 1. get more use from an old ready to retire box, or 2. leave the bees in the box I trapped them in. Here is my solution.


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## WPG (Mar 28, 2010)

Looks great.

I like the bottom tray with closure.

Make sure the opening has a screen across it that only bees can get thru, no birds and no mice.

They really like it if the top cover is completely light tight.

You have a good long verticle board so you can use two med. depth 8-framers to get the volume large enough to attract most swarms.
A large swarm may not use the bottom super before you retrieve them, but even a small swarm will pass it up if too small.

Fill it up with old well used frames without wax or foundation and no worries about waxmoths.

Goodluck


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## Beev (Jul 16, 2011)

Thanks WPG. 

You can't see it in the pic but there are crossed nails inside the 1-1/2" opening to keep the birds out, and with a simple turn they are ready to travel, with #8 hardware cloth in the other side.

I used a standard 1 x 4 and 1/2" ply for the bottom, so if I did the math right, with an 8 frame medium sitting on it, it should be about 38 liters. Everything I read says 40 is ideal, so close enough for me.

I have a new box sitting on it in the pic, but my intention is to set old used boxes on it. Between that, and used frames as you suggest, my odds should be as good as anyone's.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>They really like it if the top cover is completely light tight.

I caught swarms in mediums covered with thin plywood containing an entrance hole. Other than the possibility of rain coming in, the light did not seem to bother them.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I like that! Be careful getting it down when it's full of bees, it'll be a little heavier than a standard 1/2" ply swarm trap.


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## PAHunter62 (Jan 26, 2011)

Thanks for the idea Beev -

I made up a bunch of medium hive bodies from salvaged barn wood. I wanted to deploy 5 or 6 as swarm traps and had a buch of 5 inch wide material left over. I ripped the material to 4 inches, which combined with the medium hive body makes almost 40 liters exactly. 

While I had my dado blade in, I decided to do my entrance/closure mechanism a little differently. I made two of the slide blocs (only really need as many of them as swarms I'll be hiving in a day). I plan to put a screw in the stop block with some wire hanging from it, and another on the end of the sliding entrance block. When I want to retrieve, I just have to slide in the entrance block and wrap the wire around the screws. Still need to cut my 1 1/4 inch entry hole between the rails.


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## Beev (Jul 16, 2011)

I like the idea of the slide block, but I think I would make the fit kinda sloppy so when it gets wet and swells it won't stick on you.


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## Native Bee (Feb 28, 2014)

Hey Beev,

How did these work out for you? I'm thinking of building some similar to your design but the only problem I can imagine is that it wouldn't be able to support the weight of a colony once they start building comb and filling in that upper box since the screws attaching the trap to the hangboard are only in that bottom 4" rim. I'm thinking of maybe trying to attach the top box to the hang board somehow without using screws to preserve the integrity of the box. I may put some rope around it or a strap or something similar. 

Great idea though, I had come up with something similar in my head but couldn't figure out to attach my 4" box to the medium box and then hang that on a tree.


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## Hogback Honey (Oct 29, 2013)

Oh that is cool. Hadn't even thought about using those metal bracket thingys to attach smaller board to bigger one to make the right size.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

This has been a good thread for me too.
what I need is a trap / hive I can set up & maybe check once a month, or so.
So the minimum size would be two 8 frame medium hive bodies? ( that is my target standard, I plan on getting weaker as I get older 
I had also read that slumgum made a good attractant . yes/no?
( I melted some damaged combs from last year & saved the slumgum for this purpose )
since I am basically setting out a complete hive & hoping some wandering swarm moves in, what about screen bottom boards? better (darker inside) with a solid bottom board?
is there a "starter thread" for newbies at this?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

2 - 8 frame boxs is a good size
slum gum is good, make it homey
no screened bottom, keep it dark


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Check your traps every two weeks. There's nothing like rolling up to a swarm trap and seeing bees going in and out. Love it. 10 frame deep used boxes are the best with old brood frames. Get those girls in a regular hive box, reload with old brood come, lemon grass oil and do it all over again.


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