# attach trap to tree



## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Hi, all,

I plan on trying to trap some swarms this year. I'll be making my own swarm traps and was wondering about different techniques for attaching traps to trees. I see from the horizontal hive website, they appear to strap their traps to tree trunks. Is this common? What are other options?

thanks,
Thomas


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## Scott Gough (Dec 10, 2015)

Here is a link to the best method I have seen...

http://letmbee.com/do-it-yourself/how-i-hang-a-swarm-trap/

Jason does a great job explaining how he hangs his traps.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

I use ratchet straps to attach traps to trees. I've had luck with the traps as low as shoulder level (no ladder climbing) to about 15'. I put my traps in the shade with the entrance facing south. I'm assuming you have decided on what to use for a scent lure. I usually put one drawn frame and five frames with either starter strips of foundation or five foundation less frames. The five frames without full foundation seem to give the impression of more space in the trap hive but the bees will build comb on those frames so I don't have to cut comb off the top. I used the plans from the horizontal hive web site to build my traps. There was an article in one of the bee magazines two or three years ago, featuring those plans.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Ditto everything GaryG74 said. You can use a french cleat or build a platform, but it is extra work with only a little benefit. I just use the ratchet straps.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

GaryG74 said:


> I used the plans from the horizontal hive web site to build my traps. There was an article in one of the bee magazines two or three years ago, featuring those plans.


Pretty much these:
http://horizontalhive.com/honeybee-swarm-trap/bait-hive-how-to-catch.shtml

Last year I got so lazy (and safety aware too) I did not attach a single trap to a tree.
All free standing on the ground and a back porch.
Was not needed, in the end. 
Got enough swarms to keep me busy.
I like my trend as is.

PS: take one back - I did have a tree-mounted trap in a county park (to keep it away from the two-legged mammals); 
ratchet-strapped and standing on a thick branch;
about 10 feet high - reachable by a folding ladder;
no hits the second year on that seemingly very good location - not climbing the silly tree again - enough nonsense.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

JWPalmer said:


> Ditto everything GaryG74 said. You can use a french cleat or build a platform, but it is extra work with only a little benefit. I just use the ratchet straps.


yup this is all i did last year and will be doing again this year. Got 4 swarms last year.


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Thanks to everyone for their advice.
Just to summarize what I've learned so far. 

1) Use straps (or chain) to attach trap to tree.
2) Doesn't have to be 12 feet off the ground. Could even be on the ground.

if #1, then it seems like I could add eye hooks to the trap for attaching the straps? Or screw 2x4(s) to the trap, the 2x4(s) would have holes drilled in them to attach straps or chain.

if #2, I could possibly prop up a trap on top of a chain link fence against the tree trunk? Or even just hang it from the fence?


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Yunzow said:


> if #2, I could possibly prop up a trap on top of a chain link fence against the tree trunk? Or even just hang it from the fence?


Yes you can do either.
What really matters is - the location.
Once you nailed the location, it is less important how high.
Thinking back all my swarms so far have been caught at the chest level or below (save for the back porch - about 8 feet up).
This is one is 2 feet off the ground (made the installation/removal easy; notice - the location is safe from the two legged mammals):








PS: last year I had to take down a similar trap from a local community garden; 
at very convenient three feet high, some humans kept knocking it down and plugging it up. These people...


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Thanks Greg.
This reminds me how important it is to understand numbers from research. 
I believe the 12' or higher number comes from Tom Seeley, but he is referring to a distribution curve, not a black or white height. More chances for success at that height, but other heights are NOT zero success.



GregV said:


> Yes you can do either.
> What really matters is - the location.
> Once you nailed the location, it is less important how high.
> Thinking back all my swarms so far have been caught at the chest level or below (save for the back porch - about 8 feet up).
> ...


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

1. Take a 1 X 4 scrap of wood and screw it to the box.

2. Drill a 1" hole in the top of the board.

3. Drive a nail into the tree.

4. Hang the box on the nail.


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

great thank you PSM!


psm1212 said:


> 1. Take a 1 X 4 scrap of wood and screw it to the box.
> 
> 2. Drill a 1" hole in the top of the board.
> 
> ...


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## squarepeg (Jul 9, 2010)

here's how i do it, backing my pick up truck to the tree and standing in the bed get the trap up about 8 feet:


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Hunters' tree stands make excellent bases for traps. Easily removable and non-damaging to the tree.

Nancy


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## NorthMaine (Oct 27, 2016)

The owner of the trees may not want ya to put metal into the tree if they plan on harvesting them for wood (makes for a blade damaging projectile if they hit it). Just something to think about if you are near commercial forest land.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

You remove the nail at the end of the season when you remove the trap.


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Could you tell me more about hunter tree stands? 
Where do you get those?


enjambres said:


> Hunters' tree stands make excellent bases for traps. Easily removable and non-damaging to the tree.
> 
> Nancy


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Luckily I'm the "owner" of the woods. Gonna put two traps in a clearing which happens to be our back yard. And then maybe a trap by the lake in the woods and a couple by the river in the woods.



NorthMaine said:


> The owner of the trees may not want ya to put metal into the tree if they plan on harvesting them for wood (makes for a blade damaging projectile if they hit it). Just something to think about if you are near commercial forest land.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Yunzow said:


> Could you tell me more about hunter tree stands?
> Where do you get those?


Something like this, Thomas:
https://www.menards.com/main/outdoo...-c-13885.htm?tid=-1140590586464959577&ipos=29

Of course, I would not run and spend all kinds of money for the hunting stands.
If, on the other hand, you can get one for cheap (or free!) through the ads/craigslist/facebook - something to consider.
Gee, IF I had such great resource as my own woods, I would seriously consider hunting down cheap hunting stands - for swarm traps.
In the past I almost purchased a hunting piece of land (it already had hunting stands on it - my plan was to use them for bee hunting in summer).


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## drm1963 (May 30, 2016)

Watch the video and it will show you what we are going too on all of our swarm traps. We do have some older traps that we will still be using but we wanted an easier way to change them out when we found a good location.

Hopefully this will make sense and later we will be making a video to show how we build the system as well as videos of them in actual use!

Enjoy the video!

TNHB Swarm Traps


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Thomas:

Not sure if this helps, but I elected to use bike hanger hooks to hang my suspended swarm traps this year. The advantage of this is similar to the suggestion for a nail or French cleat in that it alleviates having to hold the weight of the box and frees up both hands to adjust the trap for level prior to tightening the ratchet straps down.

The only downside I have found with the cantilevered approach is that the box is not inherently balanced so it requires two ratchet straps to work successfully.

Best of luck to you with your trapping this Spring!

Russ


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## enjambres (Jun 30, 2013)

Yunzow,

Sorry for the delay, didn't see your question!

I confess mine are all confiscated from poachers. I live on a wildlife preserve that's part of Quality Deer Management Area. My farm is the designated sanctuary area (no hunting of any kind) for the co-op. Sanctuaries are specific areas which provide good cover, water, natural feeding and bedding areas to lower the animals' stress. There are always well-marked boundaries and responsible hunters know better than to hunt in the sanctuary area, even though there is lots of game here. 

But from time to time, some dope pushes his luck and sneaks in and mounts a tree stand high up in a tree. The things is that I walk my land all the time and I usually discover the stand, and remove it. If they have not injured the tree, I will usually let them have it back (after I give them a piece of my mind.). But if they have also driven spikes up into the tree to use as footholds and cut off branches so they could have a better sight lines, the tree stand is mine. I take serious exception to damaging trees in my woodlot.

If you google portable tree stand, you'll see how they work. I think they cost between $50-125. Some have little rope ladders that you could climb to check on the swarm box (not to carry it back down - you'd have to lower it by rope. ) I don't have any of those because that kind doesn't require the user to put spikes in the tree to get to it, so I'll give them back. My fave one is a Cabela's model, but they have them at Dick's, too, probably for a lot less money. I don't leave them up year round because I don't want to girdle the tree with the straps.

A tree stand would allow you move the swarm trap site, without harming the tree at all. Sometimes it takes awhile to find the magic tree that seems to collect swarms more often. Sort like an ultra-violet flashing sign that says, Yunzow's Famous Bee Motel, with the bee equivalent of free wi-fi, a complimentary all you can eat breakfast and a great ocean-front view.

Nancy


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## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

enjambres said:


> Sort like an ultra-violet flashing sign that says, Yunzow's Famous Bee Motel, with the bee equivalent of free wi-fi, a complimentary all you can eat breakfast and a great ocean-front view.


Great word picture, Nancy. You always have a good way with words.

Russ


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Hey, y'all,

I ended up using the 1x4, drill hole, nail approach in combination with a strap for stabilization. Seems pretty stable so far. Thanks for all the tips!

Thanks,
Thomas


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Hanging is too much work. Thirty eight catches last year, down from 70 the years before. LGO works as well as SCL but I bought a new bottle any ways. Got to beat Charlie this year, he really made me look bad. First picture is what happens when you use to much lure. Last picture they did not fit, we drove down and put in a 10 frame box.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

I am working on my secret lure formula this year which will insure a glorious victory over Ollie!!! (Once again)


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

It's not very secret when you publish a picture of commonly available lures here on Beesource. That's all you got?
What you didn't tell the readers that good old Ollie is supplying a battleground for our competition a few miles up the road from where several of our fellow club members will have over 100 hives fresh back from almond pollination. Having caught nice baited swarms at this site for several years, I am hoping that this season will be like fishing at a trout farm. 
Not only that, I will let Charlie join me trapping at a new site a mile from his club's apiary. The first competitor to lure in a marked queen gets a steak dinner. It's so sad that neither of us have a shred of good morals when it comes to setting traplines near our competition.




Charlie B said:


> I am working on my secret lure formula this year which will insure a glorious victory over Ollie!!! (Once again)
> 
> View attachment 46523


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

First of all Ollie, I did not have All of my ingredients in the picture. I’m very smart like that! 

Secondly, I will be forever grateful to you for inviting me on the mother of all poaches and the future steak dinner!


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## bevy's honeybees (Apr 21, 2011)

In all my bee yards I keep up to 5 bait hives, on cinder block stands on the ground, right where I want them to stay. Yesterday I went to one of my yards because I noticed that my backyard bait hives were under serious investigation. I had my lemongrass q tips ready to add to them. Out of the 5 bait hives, 3 were already occupied. Doesn't seem to matter whether nuc or 10 frame, they find them and move in. I may have new colonies in my back yard. I will check tomorrow.

I learned this from odfrank and so grateful! 

It's very early for this many swarms. This week I need to get to all my yards and get those bait hives ready. It's going to be a good year for swarms.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>I learned this from odfrank and so grateful!

Yes, my generosity in sharing the knowledge I have accumulated over 49 years is unparalleled! I have one apiary with five hives all filled by bait swarms. I just set up the hives, give a spritz of lure and wait for them to fill. Maybe there is a such thing as a free lunch. 



bevy's honeybees said:


> In all my bee yards I keep up to 5 bait hives, on cinder block stands on the ground, right where I want them to stay. Yesterday I went to one of my yards because I noticed that my backyard bait hives were under serious investigation. I had my lemongrass q tips ready to add to them. Out of the 5 bait hives, 3 were already occupied. Doesn't seem to matter whether nuc or 10 frame, they find them and move in. I may have new colonies in my back yard. I will check tomorrow.
> 
> I learned this from odfrank and so grateful!
> 
> It's very early for this many swarms. This week I need to get to all my yards and get those bait hives ready. It's going to be a good year for swarms.


c


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

Oh wow, here we go.


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

Hey, thanks for the pictures. What do you have those traps sitting on top of?



odfrank said:


> Hanging is too much work. Thirty eight catches last year, down from 70 the years before. LGO works as well as SCL but I bought a new bottle any ways. Got to beat Charlie this year, he really made me look bad. First picture is what happens when you use to much lure. Last picture they did not fit, we drove down and put in a 10 frame box.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Those are 15 gallon plastic nursery pots.


QUOTE=Yunzow;1704725]Hey, thanks for the pictures. What do you have those traps sitting on top of?



odfrank said:


> Hanging is too much work. Thirty eight catches last year, down from 70 the years before. LGO works as well as SCL but I bought a new bottle any ways. Got to beat Charlie this year, he really made me look bad. First picture is what happens when you use to much lure. Last picture they did not fit, we drove down and put in a 10 frame box.


[/QUOTE]


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## grizz747 (Sep 17, 2015)

I try to find a limb to hook this on and then bungee to tree.


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## Charlie B (May 20, 2011)

grizz747 said:


> View attachment 46551
> I try to find a limb to hook this on and then bungee to tree.


No need Grizz, just get some 15 gal. nursery pots!:lpf:


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## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

Charlie B. & odfrank - do you have frames in your bait hives? If so are they old, new with foundation or foundationless?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

The more old combs the better. 


spencer said:


> Charlie B. & odfrank - do you have frames in your bait hives? If so are they old, new with foundation or foundationless?


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## Hokie Bee Daddy (Apr 1, 2011)

Glad to see Charlie B and odfrank still going at it. I've found I have more luck when I hang traps 12' to 15' above the ground. I raise them with a rope around a high tree limb then use the rope to hold the trap against the tree. It works out well.


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