# unused deeps as swarm traps.



## hivemind11 (Jul 8, 2015)

Hello I came up with a plan. i want to make about ten swarm traps and have heard that a deep box is about perfect. but i don't want to ruin them as i still want to be able to use them in the bee yard when I need them. but I figured if i put a square plywood top and bottom and on the bottom i could make a bout a half inch lip with a notch cut out of it. this would screw on to the bottom forming a rectangular entrance way. 


have any of you done anything like this before? what are your thoughts?


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

It should work, but I have trouble visualizing the entrance. A 3/4 borehole in the face of the box works just as well. When you don't want the entrance - close it with a wine bottle cork, a bit of duck tape, or just a crumple of newspaper. Bees love to propilize the paper crumples. I close the boxes with two migratory covers, one facing up on the bottom, and on the top.

The boxes with boreholes are perfectly serviceable for any normal hive setup. Using unmodified migratory covers leaves that equipment serviceable for normal hives. 

I put my boreholes just below the "shoulder" on the frames. This means better passage than above the shoulders.


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## JWChesnut (Jul 31, 2013)

-- duplicate post--- "internal server error" on posting.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Same Beesource error as JW


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

3/4" plywood cut with dado blade on table saw.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

These two double eight frame medium setups are waiting to go out but filled with scouts and might get filled before leaving the yard. If we get any good weather back soon. I call these boards the "odfrank Economy Baithive".


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

That or use a solid bottom board and close most of the entrance. Bees don't care.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

I run all solid BBs now, 3/4" plywood with a 5/8 x 3/4 pine shim around the perimeter (cut from other woodware scraps) with approximately a 4 1/2" gap for an entrance. Since I use this BB setup on all the hives it helps standardize equipment and 5/8" shim will allow the entrance to accommodate a vaporizer, if you're so inclined. If you're going to place the bait hives anywhere but on a flat stable surface I'd screw the BB and top to box. There's also a few threads on the various methods to mount the hives in a tree.


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## kingd (Oct 31, 2013)

JWChesnut said:


> It should work, but I have trouble visualizing the entrance. A 3/4 borehole in the face of the box works just as well. When you don't want the entrance - close it with a wine bottle cork, a bit of duck tape, or just a crumple of newspaper. Bees love to propilize the paper crumples. I close the boxes with two migratory covers, one facing up on the bottom, and on the top.
> 
> The boxes with boreholes are perfectly serviceable for any normal hive setup. Using unmodified migratory covers leaves that equipment serviceable for normal hives.
> 
> I put my boreholes just below the "shoulder" on the frames. This means better passage than above the shoulders.


 This is how I do it,closed up the box once the bees are in it and take to new location open up and all done,no need to move frames from one box to another,just add a deep on top and you are good to go.
I do put a screen cover on the day before(with the top on it) so they do not over heat in transit.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

My bait hives only differ from standard equipment in that I lag screw a modified 18-24" 2x4 to the side for hanging in a tree. The thought being a bait hive is nothing more than a normal, empty hive that has a VACANCY sign via LGO and old comb or melted wax and propolis. I don't treat unnecessarily but when I do I use a vaporizer and the bottom board with a gap in the shims will accommodate the vaporizer while the hole will not. My hive set up also uses a top entrance but precludes treatment from above without additional hive woodware manipulation. The bottom entrance just keeps the process more standardized, simple and quick


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

Last year I made a solid BB, reinforced, with a plastic 4x4 post sleeve attached on the bottom. That lets me slip it on to a tall 4x4 post. The board has 3/4" shims installed around it so it is just like a normal solid bottom board and entrance. I strap a deep and top cover on.

How well does it work? Its was the best wax moth trap I've ever seen.

In my bee club, the usual word is that bees almost never use swarm traps. What they may use is a stack of supers and frames you have stored somewhere.


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## hivemind11 (Jul 8, 2015)

odfrank those look great. how do you perform when compared to your other traps? also do you nail the lids on? and how do you get them up in the tree?


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

how do you perform when compared to your other traps? No data, they do catch swarms
also do you nail the lids on some I screw on or use the straps shown
and how do you get them up in the tree? I never put a trap in a tree, I use tops of walls, table tops, abandoned car hoods, potting tables, overturned nursery cans etc.


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## Eikel (Mar 12, 2014)

When installing them in a tree I lag screw a modified 2x4 to the side. Modified with a dado "mid box" for strapping to the tree and a large hole at the top for hoisting and lowering the box and an additional strapping point.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

You can easily use the standard floor on a swarm trap.
I use plumber's strap, the perforated flat metal hanger strap, it comes in a 10 or 20 foot roll. 
Just cut a short 2"to 3" piece, 1 for each corner, put a screw into the holes ,1 in the box, 1 in the floor, outside. Easy to remove. Sturdy, & you'll be able to haul it around anywhere. What I put out usually is a deep, with all its parts. Then it only needs to move home and be put with the other bees.


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