# Swarm box etiqutte



## juzzerbee (Apr 17, 2012)

Is there a polite(unspoken beeker rule)distance that I should place my swarm traps away from other beekeepers hives? I assume everyone would react differently.... One of the properties where I am going to place a trap, there is a beeker with his hives. We both have permission to use the land from the owner.

Also, how many traps and how far should I place a trap from my own beeyard, the minimum and maximum. When I get up and running this Spring, I should have 3 hives(hopefully more after the traps are out). Thanks, juzzer


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Bees don't swarm simply because they know a box is available for them to move into. They are going to swarm (if they are inclined to do so) regardless of whether you or anyone else offers them a manmade home.

But if you are concerned with etiquette, the polite thing to do would be to _discuss _the situation with the other beekeeper.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> But if you are concerned with etiquette, the polite thing to do would be to _discuss _the situation with the other beekeeper.


Well put Graham. Before I read the whole Original Post I was going to say, "On someone elses property." I had a yd of about 40 or so hives one time. I drove into the yd from one road and drove across the field to another road to leave the property. That way I didn't have to turn my truck and trailer around.

When I got to the exit I had to get out and let down the cable. Looking across the road, up in a tree I saw a swarm trap. Taken aback at first, I shook my head, chuckled and thought to myself, "Good for you and good luck. Somebody aught to get them."


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> Well put Graham. Before I read the whole Original Post I was going to say, "On someone elses property." I had a yd of about 40 or so hives one time. I drove into the yd from one road and drove across the field to another road to leave the property. That way I didn't have to turn my truck and trailer around.
> 
> When I got to the exit I had to get out and let down the cable. Looking across the road, up in a tree I saw a swarm trap. Taken aback at first, I shook my head, chuckled and thought to myself, "Good for you and good luck. Somebody aught to get them."


Now THAT is a clear thinking man. I was talking to a friend at his farm a few weeks ago. I have another beek friend that has a couple of hives there and another guy I don't know has one more hive. As I was getting ready to leave I saw a swarm on a tree branch. I didn't think twice and I had that swarm boxed up in ten minutes. I called my friend and told him. His reaction struck me as odd because he sort of indicated in a "kidding" way that these were his bees. I didn't want to get into a hassle with him and told him later that day that I would give him a gallon of honey for the swarm. He was 4 hours away at the time. I didn't consider it as poaching and I'm always doing things for this guy as he does for me. Looking back I probably should have just done him a favor and hired the swarm for him but the matter of fact is they were going bye bye and I was there??? 
I have 5 hives at another farm because I needed to move them to a yard that is close to where they were. I put them at this farm just to get them to reorient so they wouldn't fly back to the old location. I've put swarm boxes at this farm every year. The owner has a commercial pollenator with 50 hives there as well. I heard through the grape vine that he thought any swarms I might catch would be "his bees". I relayed back through this same grape vine that they sure WERE his bees but ones they swarmed if he isn't there to get them they are anyone's bees. 
That's how I look at this. If someone has swarm boxes out and they catch bees from one of my hives then so be it. Better that they go to a beekeeper than into the wild where the hell will get hammered by Varela and die in two years for sure.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

Once they are airborn, they are free for the taking as long as you DO NOT tresspass to get them. I do have 4 swarm traps upwind and within a stones throw of 70 hives at the moment. All are on land I have permission to trap on.

In your case, I wouldn't place the traps on top of his hives. Placed upwind and 30-40 yards away is cool.


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## Gilligan (May 8, 2013)

challenger said:


> Now THAT is a clear thinking man. I was talking to a friend at his farm a few weeks ago...


Some people are just out there. A very good friend and I just parted ways over something similarly stupid. We had the same sort of relationship, always doing things for each other just because that is what friends do. Then I "hired" him to help me build an addition to one of my rent houses and he wanted to trade for me building him a computer. Long story short, he wasn't happy with the way I valued my labor of the computer I built him (vs his entire contribution being labor based and I was shelling out over $1,100 in hardware). In the end it seemed that he was po'd over what equated to about $100-$200 bucks and tossed our 10+ year friendship in the toilet over it.

Pretty lame... guess it was better to find out today vs tomorrow. *shrug*


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

challenger said:


> Now THAT is a clear thinking man.


Thanks.

Wonder what he would have said had you told him that you were visiting the farmer and saw a swarm hanging in a tree. And left it at that. Only thing is, word would get back to him that you collected it. But, had you left it where it hung and told him it appears as though he wouldn't have been pleased w/ you anyway.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>"Good for you and good luck. Somebody aught to get them." 

I'm with Mark

I think people who are unhappy about such an arrangement don't really understand how it works--that it won't lure them into swarming...


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## juzzerbee (Apr 17, 2012)

Thanks for the words that I WANTED to hear. I am about 100 yards away from the guys 8 hives so I don't think it will be a problem.
So in other words..... it wouldn't be polite for me to sit in front of his hives in camo clothing and catch his bees in a minnow net as they flew out?!!! Ha!:lpf: juzzer


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

U got it.


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## Terk (Mar 13, 2013)

If I don't catch a swarm, it might die, or get lucky and survive. With the bait hive in my backyard, I stand a good chance of catching bees from a nearby monastery having a dozen hives. The monks have overharvested honey in the past that resulted in overwintering die offs. So their bees should be happier with me. I covet God's bees and no etiquette involved. Too bad I don't live near the Vatican.
But I also want the All-American bees that live at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue! My tax dollars have been taking care of those bees and I want them to swarm. I don't see any etiquette involved in placing swarm traps all along the Potomac River having Nasarov pheromone and lemon grass oil. Actually, a swarm landed in Michelle O's backyard back in 2010 and she adopted it. If I could, I would cause swarms to happen, especially in Beverly Hills. :banana:


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

Funny thing for me this year. I decided to hang them the best location I see and if they disappear, so be it. I hung one up at a location that I thought would be a great location and a week later I drove by to check it. As I was getting near it, my daughter hollars, "Look, two langs!" I felt foolish as this box was about 100 feet or so from those hives. But not enough to move the box!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Just to help eliminate ambiguous terminology, a "swarm box" is something you use in queen rearing:

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesqueenrearingsimplified.htm#TheSwarmBox
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesbetterqueens.htm#The Starter Hive
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/BQPg46.jpg
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesalleymethod.htm#Chapter2
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesalleymethod.htm#SwarmingBox

A "bait hive" or a "swarm trap" are the common terms used for something offered as an attractive home for a swarm to choose.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm#baithives
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesterms.htm#b


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Terk said:


> If I don't catch a swarm, it might die, or get lucky and survive.


...and if you don't catch a swarm it might very well live and prosper greatly...in the wall of your neighbor's house, in *your* house, in a barn or shed (yours or a neighbor's), the wall of a mobile home or RV, beneath a peanut combine, etc., etc... I live fairly isolated from my neighbors and my beeyard is pretty well surrounded by pine trees and the ridge of a hill. When the bees swarm they normally run into an obstacle and start clustering in or around the edge of the back pasture. Naturally I want to hive any swarms, not only to save "my" bees but also to prevent having to remove an established colony from someplace that I don't want it. Same goes with a swarm hanging somewhere else...they may die in the elements but they also may take up residence in someplace that folks don't want them. Better to shake a cluster in a box than cut a wall out of your house...or your neighbor's. 

Ed


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