# New bee keeper having good luck with swarm trapping.



## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

New bee keeper here, and very new to this site. To make a long story short, my Uncle bought a shed from someone a few years ago and it had some new hive boxes, 2 suits, a smoker and a couple of other miscellaneous things in it. I was thinking about getting into bee keeping but hadn't pulled the trigger yet. My Uncle didn't keep bee's but had the stuff because it was in a storage shed that he purchased. Anyway, he passed away recently and I got the bee stuff. About a week after he passed, I was still doing my research and reading about bee keeping, no where near ready for bees yet. I do handy man type work for a living and got a call from a homeowner asking if I'd saw up a tree that the power company had cut down. When I arrived the owner warned me that there was a "yellow jackets nest" in the tree. I inspected them a turns out to be honey bees. Obviously I didn't want to destroy the bees so I decided I'd figure out a way to get them home. We successfully completed the task and I ended up with a small hive of bees that I had no idea what to do with. But I was patting myself on the back because this was the first time I'd ever even been close to a honey bee colony , and I had successfully cut them out of an oak tree, saved lots of comb, located the Queen and transferred them into my box. I didn't want the bees to die due to my error, so I called some random guy from Craigslist selling honey asking for help. This guy has been the biggest help ever. Turns out he's from my home Town and knows my uncle (that gave me the bee stuff) very well. Kind of crazy if you ask me. Fast forward to about a week ago....I had been reading (mostly on here) , about swarm trapping. Well I got real excited, built and placed 4 swarm traps around the outskirts of my pasture. Wouldn't you know it, I have caught 3 good sized swarms within 3 days. One of which filled up a 10 frame deep so bad that we immediately had to add another box to it. I got one of the swarms on video, from the cloud of bees coming in, to the cluster melting in to my box. I believe in the Lord and I also believe that him and my Uncle have had something to do with the success I've been having. Along with the super good guy that donates his time and experience to helping me do the right thing with these bees.


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## B52EW (Jun 3, 2013)

Catching swarms never gets old no matter how many hives you get (I have too many, and I still put out traps to support my addiction). Great job! Enjoy the experience.


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## clong (Apr 6, 2015)

This is my second year of trapping. I have 7 traps out right now. There have been lots of scouts, but no swarms. Thanks for sharing your story, and for giving the Lord credit. It was encouraging.


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## Afondren (May 8, 2016)

That's a really cool story! So happy for your good bee fortune!!!


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

Thank you folks. These bees are neat. There real dark colored, some of them are even almost solid black.


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## reidflys (Jan 14, 2011)

You have so many great adventures coming your way! The people you meet are my favorite part. Bees break the barrier, I'm happy to have both Mennonites and Amish as close friends now because of a mutual love of bees. All the best!


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## Charlestonbee (Mar 26, 2015)

Also if they are wild swarms without marked queens you can see next season which to make queens from. I also love swarms. I like to give them away to others who want bees.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Congratulations.

I'm highly jealous. On my second year of attempting to swarm trap with nada for results.


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## clong (Apr 6, 2015)

crmauch, I totally understand. Last year I had 4 traps, this year 8 traps and counting... Lots of nibbles, but no bites. It is frustrating. Good traps help, but I wonder if the real estate adage applies: Location, location, location.


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

A year ago before I had bees I was out working in the yard and spilled a cream soda. When I went to pick up the can there were probably 50 honey bees on it. There's not a bee keeper near by either. We have found 2 of the Queen out of the swarms and neither of them were marked. The huge swarm we caught we haven't been able to locate the Queen yet. There are a ton of bees in there and I don't want to harass them to bad until they get good and settled in. I am really enjoying this bee keeping stuff so far. Thank y'all for the kind words.


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

Trying to post a picture. This was the large swarm. We immediately had to add another box to it. The picture was taken in the middle of the day, so I would think that alot of the bees weren't even home. Hope the pic works.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

awesome!! since youre a new beekeeper, a word of advice: make sure your frames are pushed up tight against eachother in the box. otherwise they may be prone to make extra burr comb. the side bars should be touching. keeping them tight will guide them to draw nice straight combs. stick with it!


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

Thank you coal.


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## Hickory Point Hollow (Mar 23, 2017)

Having the Lord as your priority definitely helps.....He helped me this morning harvest my first gobbler of the season. I have 12 traps out now and am praying He sends some of His honey bees towards my traps. There is something mighty about watching the perfect organization of bees and how they function. I am a beginning bee person as well (don't even have an established hive yet) and am trusting we will soon have all four of our hives full of some of His awesome creation. I will say, I have watched a few scouts out looking at my traps, and even this allows me to reflect more on His awesome power and wonderful design we get to enjoy. Having patience is the tough part for me......I have done my work and have the traps out and baited with swarm commander.....now I wait.


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

The swarm that I got on video was the last one I got so far. I'll tell you how it went with these scouts. They started with 3 or 4, then the next morning there were 10 or 15, those numbers Increased all day. About 3 in the afternoon there were more than 100 bees buzzing around. I sat down and waited them out. All but about 5 or 6 disappeared, I said well they've either abandoned ship or there about to come back with the swarm. About 30 minutes later it sounded like someone with a weed eater was coming over the hill. It was the swarm. I got so excited I can't even describe it.


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## COAL REAPER (Jun 24, 2014)

YAHOO!!!


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## clong (Apr 6, 2015)

Fishing-nut, that is a good observation. Tom Seeley says the sudden disappearance of scout bees is a good indicator that the swarm will soon be coming. Sort of like when the water recedes immediately prior to a tsunami. Somehow the scouts know it is time to return and lead the swarm to the new home. Have you posted the video anywhere? I would love to see it.


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

Clong I will try to post it up to YouTube or something later tonight. It's 15 minutes long so I don't know if I can or not.


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## hankstump (Jul 30, 2014)

Heaven will help those that help them selves. If you never set out traps, you will never see swarms. Its just like fishing. Gots to get out there and try. Then its location, location, location. Oh, and opportunity. 

And yes, I have seen the scouts all around a hive, only to disappear, and wonder what happened. Then a swarm shows up the next day while I'm at work. SURPRISE!!! 

Welcome to the bee world. You are at Stage 2 already. 

Cheers, Phil in Fremont


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## NotThatGuyAgain (Jan 21, 2017)

I'm in about the same situation. Just wish I had some 'donated' equipment! Caught my first swarm by accident in one of those fiberglass fountain ponds I had on my land. Transferred to hive box. Put up a swarm trap about a month later and caught another swarm the first day out. Gave it a few weeks, they had it filled with comb, so transferred another. Seems like more bees than I can put in boxes some days. Need to build me some Coates nucs.  Having a blast. Good luck with your hives!


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

Wonderful story Fishing-Nut!

I especially enjoyed reading the part where the scouts disappeared for a few minutes, then suddenly, the army shows up! How cool is that?

I have never seen a swarm flying here. We have caught a number of swarms, but only seen the "bee beard" on the outside of the box, or, never even see the swarm...simply recognize there are lots of bees entering/exiting the swarm trap and that somehow, we managed to trap another swarm.

Sure would be nice to see a real live swarm swarming in action!

Please do post your swarm video. 

Thank you!


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## Fishing-Nut (Apr 19, 2017)

Folks thank y'all for the kind words. I have been in Atlanta working for the past 4 days. I left the swarm boxes on the trees while I was gone and wouldn't you know it I came back to 2 more swarms. One of them completely filled up a 8 frame deep box I made. (Didn't mean to make it that big) , and I haven't opened the lid on the other one yet, but there are bees on the outside of the box and the entrance is full of bees. So I would imagine is stuffed to. It's a 5 frame deep box. Thank you Lord ! I am flat out amazed at the success I have had with these swarms. I can't afford to go out and buy a yard full of bees and I think the Lord knows it and gave me the bees. I'm not a weirdo or anything like that but I would have never imagined that I would catch these bees that quick. Heck there not my bees and I live in the boonies, I honestly didn't think I'd catch one at all.


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