# Paaradise for a swarm trap?



## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

I'm not the right person to advise on where to place traps. I'm not too successful at it. Luckily I get my number out to people and get a few swarm calls a year.

My advise is to not get discouraged if you don't catch any bees. It's getting late to be catching swarms. You very well may catch one, or some but don't give up if it doesn't happen until next year.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Read Dr Thomas Seeley of Cornell University, search for Seeley and honeybee bait hives. His research will give you much of the basic preferences. Along with his information, I have success with selecting trees that are set slightly away from the larger wood line. Limbs with spacing so the bees can easily navigate through them, 6-8" high and a little smearing of lemongrass oil & "pinched queen alcohol." My best performers are a sycamore and an oak.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I had 12 traps out last year starting in march. Nothing. Same thing this year but 16 traps. caught 2. One was right by my garage about 6 feet off the ground and another was about the same hight on a tree by a couple of junk cars. None of my perfect spots or the deer stands along creeks or high lines produced. I did this year, spread my traps miles wise a bit further then putting a bunch in one area. I found family and put one at each of their houses and ask them to look once in a while. Still 16 traps and only two swarms 8 miles apart. Plus none last year.
There have to be bees swarming for you to have a chance to catch them.
Good luck
gww


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## Scpossum (May 4, 2014)

Guys in the beeclub are experimenting this year with location on a pretty big scale. They say anything with a treeline. Fields, powerlines, right of ways, cutdowns, etc. will draw swarms. 

My two this year were a roadway and a field line both in 15+ foot treestands.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Rotating three traps in the above mentioned trees I have caught 6 swarms and the sycamore tree box is now occupied.


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## Spratkid (May 31, 2016)

Eikel said:


> Rotating three traps in the above mentioned trees I have caught 6 swarms and the sycamore tree box is now occupied.


You seem to be having a lot of success lol. How often do you check them? And when you do, I'd there any sort of maintenance you perform? (Removing spiders, ants, debris, etc?)


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

We like lone trees in fields or as already stated on the tree line of fields or power cuts. All of ours are 6 eet or less off of the ground. I like them in the shade. We only put one trap per property and like at least a few miles between traps. All 10 frame deeps with frames bit only small starter strips of foundation. A piece of old comb in each one and 2 squirts of swarm commander every week on the entrance unless there are scouts present. If it's new equipment we rub propolis on the inside especially right at the entrance. Had 12 traps out last year and caught 13 swarms. Have 18 traps out this year and we've caught 19 so far. Haven't noticed any one type of tree producing better than others but I will say it seems like I always have ants to deal with when I place them in locust trees. Good luck and let us know how you do.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

This has been an exceptionally banner year (last spring was exceptionally wet and I caught more tree frogs than bees). I check on them when it's convenient but typically one or twice a week. If I don't see any activity after 2 weeks or so I will pop the top to check if anything else has moved in and may add another smear of LGO.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Maples are bad for ants too. +1 with mcon's comments. If I need to use a new box I will use a heat gun to melt propolis and wax in a couple of places. However, I frequently use 5-6 frames but place a deck screw (self starting) on either side of the frames to keep them from shift during transport and mounting.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I will say that a pretty non sientific test that I did on refreshing bait was interesting. The trap I caught one swarm was ten feet from another identical trap. I put them there while building with the intention of moving them to a good spot. I got lazy. I put a q-tip with lemon grass oil wraped in a sandwich baggie. I put the lemon grass oil in them around the 1st of march. On one of them I would put a drop of lemon grass oil on my finger and rub it in the entrance about every two weeks. I left the other as original. Though the bees checked out both traps, they picked the one that was not refreshed. The othe swam I caught was also on a trap that I did not get to to refreash the bait. Not a lot to go from but does have me thinking.
gww


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Interesting. I need to be more observant with less could be more with the LGO.

I had pulled an occupied box Sun evening and was putting up a replacement on Monday afternoon. The replacement received a refreshing of LGO less than a half hour prior but 60' away from the tree and before I could open the tailgate I had bees visiting the box. By the time I could carry the box to the tree I realized I had more than a few stragglers from the previous box and had to install the box with a swarm moving in. This maybe skewed because there was obviously a swarm in the immediate vicinity looking for a home and didn't go through the normal scout committee decision process.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is Thomas Seeley's _Bait Hives for Honey Bees_ paper.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

For an even fuller treatment (it has all that's in the paper plus more) check out Honeybee Democracy. I've linked to Amazon, but I suggest you check it out through your local library system (even if they don't have it local they might be able to get it through Interlibrary loan) to see how you like it first.


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## Spratkid (May 31, 2016)

Really appreciate all the feedback!!! Definitely going to be playing around with lemon grass oil and trap locations. Based on everyone's experience, how important do you think it is to have frames and foundation in the trap? Being new, I don't really have that many to spare?


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I am brand new. I got to watch both swarms that I caught move in. I transfered one immediatly and the other was in the box full of frames that I just closed up and moved at night. If you got to them the same day, you would not need frames. I do have traps that I barily look at once a month. Two things. I sure messed up a hive inspection today trying to rubber band comb in and thought it was hard in my opinion. If you watched everyday then frames would not be too important. I did feel better about not having to dump the bees in the one that I had full frames in. It was so easy just to bring the box home and set it on its stand and forget it for about a week before making any moves.

My first year I only put about 5 frames in but caught nothing. I feel much more comfortable having full frames in. I feel most comfotable getting some bees though, so however you do it you have to have traps out to have a chance.
I hope this helps in some way.
gww


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## Scott Gough (Dec 10, 2015)

I think frames in a swarm box make hiving the swarm later much easier. I always put frames in my swarm traps. The boxes also have room at the bottom of the box and if I do not get to them in time they will build comb below the frames but at least they have some frames to start with. If the box does not have frames you will need them later when you cut the comb out of the trap. Just put them in to start with and save yourself the time and effort of doing an cut out. I used the swarm trap plans on horizontalhive.com and they work well.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

Agree with including frames, If you don't have that many put in what you can spare but recommend you put a screw or nail on either side of the "group" so they don't shift and bang during transport and mounting. Frequently I only use 5 frames mounted in the middle with a single drawn frame.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

In terms of attracting swarms, I don't believe that frames & foundation is any help. I do believe having some comb (particularly brood comb) is beneficial and drawn foundation (i.e. has comb on it) is probably also helpful.


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## Scott Gough (Dec 10, 2015)

crmauch said:


> In terms of attracting swarms, I don't believe that frames & foundation is any help. I do believe having some comb (particularly brood comb) is beneficial and drawn foundation (i.e. has comb on it) is probably also helpful.


I agree that frames have little to no influence in attracting swarms but it sure does make it easier to put them in a hive when the time comes. 

I agree with Eikel that the frames need to be secured in the trap when putting them up. I found that out the hard way when some of my frames slide to one side and I ended up with comb between frames.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I agree no frames are a recipe for a lot of work later, not so much an attractant, more a beek aid. I'm foundationless and 5 frames, with one drawn comb, works very well when I remove the box 4-10 days after I know it's been occupied. As Scott said, makes things a whole lot easier to transfer frames than cutting comb off the top and putting it in frames.


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