# How do you get bees from a trap into a hive?



## Cleo C. Hogan Jr (Feb 27, 2010)

Move your trap with the bees in it, add frames as needed, move into better equipment when you have time. (I use all old, well worn deep boxes for my traps) OR

At dusk, remove the frames from the trap and place in a good box, then move. This is what I normally do. Set the trap back where it was. Afterswarms sometimes occur and will move into the same box.

If the bees have dropped comb and tied up all the space in the trap, you may have to move the trap, place on top of a deep super with frames, allow the bees and the queen to move into the bottom, and at some point, (I wait until the next Spring), then remove the trap box, and let the bees rob it out, early in the year, remove the wax, melt, and sell the wax

DISREGARD MOST OF WHAT I SAID. I JUST REALIZED YOU ARE USING TOP BAR HIVES. NOT LANGSTROTH. SORRY, I DIDN'T NOTICE.

cchoganjr.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I built my swarm traps to accept the same top bars as my permanent TBH. That way I don't mind if the swarm builds comb, I can just transfer the bars into the permanent hive. Also, the swarm traps are of a size that they can also be used as nucs if I choose.

If your swarm traps don't have matching top bars, you can transfer the swarm by dumping the bees in your TBH similar to how you would install a package. If you want to transfer any comb they have built, handle the comb as a "cut-out". That will be easier if you build a couple of bars to have a frame of some sort so you can tie or band the comb to the bar.


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## JYawn (Dec 6, 2011)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> I built my swarm traps to accept the same top bars as my permanent TBH. That way I don't mind if the swarm builds comb, I can just transfer the bars into the permanent hive. Also, the swarm traps are of a size that they can also be used as nucs if I choose.
> 
> If your swarm traps don't have matching top bars, you can transfer the swarm by dumping the bees in your TBH similar to how you would install a package. If you want to transfer any comb they have built, handle the comb as a "cut-out". That will be easier if you build a couple of bars to have a frame of some sort so you can tie or band the comb to the bar.



That's a really good idea. I think I will modify my trap to hold some of my extra bars. Smart thinking.


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## plong (Jul 13, 2016)

Only my second yr in keeping & first for traps. I caught a swarm in one of my traps 2 weeks ago and just had a chance to move it to a top bar hive 2 nights ago. I covered the entrance with branches etc and it seems as though there are plenty of bees around the hive today however, I put another trap in the same spot that the first trap was in and it is full of bees going in & out. Could it be that the original swarm has went back there or is it possible that a new swarm took over the new trap??


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

plong said:


> Only my second yr in keeping & first for traps. I caught a swarm in one of my traps 2 weeks ago and just had a chance to move it to a top bar hive 2 nights ago. I covered the entrance with branches etc and it seems as though there are plenty of bees around the hive today however, I put another trap in the same spot that the first trap was in and it is full of bees going in & out. Could it be that the original swarm has went back there or is it possible that a new swarm took over the new trap??


I think either is a possibility. Or some of the bees went back and others stayed.


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