# Swarm Trap Plans



## Wendellww (Sep 20, 2014)

Please share your plans for swarm traps - I hope to have time to build a few in Jan & Feb.

Thanks,

Wendell


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

I plan to put a few out this year around the area. I know where a bee tree or two are and will be putting one out near both of them. Going to use 5 frame NUC's mostly with at least 1 frame of good old comb and some empty frames. Going to use a few 8 frame deep boxes the same way. Plan on putting them out just about the middle of march when the bees in the area start flying good.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

My recommendation is to make your traps using the brood chambers you commonly use. My latest versions had thin plywood tops and bottoms with an entrance disk, or 3/4" plywood tops and bottoms with an entrance slot. Using this ideology, I made no specialty items and with no extra expense and already had the brood chambers needed to house my caught swarms.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

A small swarm will fit into a large swarm trap but a large swarm will not fit into a small trap. 




This is a poor picture but the cluster hanging from the entrance would not fit into this four 11 1/4" deep frame trap, I had to transfer it into the green eight frame trap in the picture below. I did that at 8 in the morning and paid the price.


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## greathorned (Apr 25, 2013)

For $29 or so I found that the Dadant Starter Nuc works perfectly. If you find a lot of scrap wood you can waste time putting boxes together that approximates the relative size of a starter nuc. The nice thing about using a starter nuc is if they move in and you don't catch it within a couple days they simply build out on frames and that make it most easy transfer into a full deep super. As an attractant its good to place at least one drawn out frame into the boxes.


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## gezellig (Jun 11, 2014)

I plan to try to use a couple of the dome swarm traps, I've never tried those before.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I agree with Ollie, (post #3) - use hive or nuc bodies for swarm traps and get _double _duty out of your equipment.

If you do want to build some affordable nuc sized traps, the D Coates plans for nucs allows one to build 4 nucs entirely from a single sheet of 1/2" plywood with no fancy cuts or routing needed:
http://www.beesource.com/build-it-yourself/5-frame-nuc-d-coates-version/

Of course, you can then use those nuc boxes as nucs - after swarm season.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

odfrank said:


> A small swarm will fit into a large swarm trap but a large swarm will not fit into a small trap.


Wow, good to know.:applause:


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

Old equipment works for me.


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