# When to trap in south texas



## frustrateddrone (Jan 31, 2015)

You perhaps need them now.... Anytime you have a warming trend, you'll likely have a few swarms from my keeping tabs on what bee keepers have reported the past 3 years in our region (Central Texas) Regardless of time of year; it's mainly the warming weather that triggers it. I have read mid January as in last year. Sometimes it's Late Feb and sometimes it can be normal as in March. If you think of what a queen does with laying and what triggers it, then you have an idea it has to do with weather temps. More activity when it's warm, so the queen will start to lay and ramp up. When the colony if full of bees, then swarming will happen. I am not sure, but low food with Africanized bees probably could be a reason a swarm cast off takes place here in Texas. I believe I heard that from a commercial bee keeper near me in conversation. Anyhow she got 38 swarms last year with phone calls. Her radius of travel is I believe 45 minutes out. If you want to capture swarms Craiglist/facebook is what she does. She does farmers mkt every weekend at the same spot, so a business card goes a long way.


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## texanbelchers (Aug 4, 2014)

Last year I had hives full of brood and trying to swarm in early February. This year, none of them have much more than a couple small patches of brood and haven't really started yet. During my inspection last Sunday I saw 1 drone, but no drone brood. I guess he didn't get the eviction notice.


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## amk (Dec 16, 2017)

That's kind of the feeling I was getting. This winter has been pretty solid compared to the last few I figured everything would be a little later. I guess I may hold off until march.


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