# How many if you place a swarm trap or two in your bee yard?



## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

This guy sure was glad he did!


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## AL from Georgia (Jul 14, 2014)

This year I am placing three swarm traps around my yard and one of those black stocking type setups. My son and I watched my strongest hive swarm last year and land on a limb fifty feet in the air. For an entire day I tried to figure out how to get them down with no success. The traps may not catch them, but at least I will have a chance.


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## Ravenseye (Apr 2, 2006)

The first time I put swarm traps out I had two colonies swarm on the same day. Both swarms went to the nearest tree (an old, old apple) and hung out for a while. The lower swarm was taken out by using a nice, tall stepladder. The higher swarm in the same tree rose up and left while I was boxing up the first swarm. The very next tree over had one of the swarm traps and it was never used, nor was the other on my property. Bees will be bees. I've had so-so luck putting them up elsewhere and it's always kind of neat to see a swarm taking up residence in one.


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## BeeGora (Oct 22, 2013)

I put one up last year in my yard. Saw the bees checking it out. Then they swarmed and left. Never saw them again.


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## tech.35058 (Jul 29, 2013)

BeeGora said:


> I put one up last year in my yard. Saw the bees checking it out. Then they swarmed and left. Never saw them again.


last year ( my second summer ) one of my stronger hives made multiple queen cells, which I split into multiple new nuc hives. one "stabilized", most of the rest, including the "momma hive" went into a series of repeated supercedures. I was thinking about just setting swarm traps & trying to catch the swarms this year, but maybe I will use the split routine again this year.
I have only seen one swarm in my life, & I was so green at the time that I did not catch it, even though it was on the ground!
try everything, chances are, something will work!


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

If you do place the swarm traps in/around your apiary, make sure to place it upwind from the hives.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

What is a black stocking set up?


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

We have them in several of our neighbors yard also. They get very excited when they catch a swarm.
Its great PR with my neighbors.


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## TalonRedding (Jul 19, 2013)

I do, but the bees I catch in them aren't mine. :shhhh:


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

WBVC.. I think he is referring to hanging a dark item like a grass sack or stocking filled with straw around your bee yard. Sometimes this attracts the queen as she exits the hive and they swarm on it. In Spring I have hung a couple grass sacks from low hanging limbs hoping to attract the swarm. Only problem with this method is, you have to see the swarm on the sack in order to capture it. If the sacks are not where they can be observed most of the day, then you may very well miss a swarm.

cchoganjr


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I've had a swarm from unknown places land in empty gear in my backyard last summer and the summer before.

The black stocking setup is probably what they call in Russia a Scion, someone posted about them a while back on Beesource. I may hang one up this year in sight of our back window. For the Russian scion they put something like a 2x2 around 18 inches long attached to the center of piece of wood, probably around 12x12 and hang it in a pole about 10 feet high with the 2x2 pointing to the ground. On the 2x2 they wrap it with some cloth that has been impregnated with propolis. 

The swarm that we got last year landed in the top of a neighbors maple before flying into a TBH in our yard. They were too high for me to get to in the maple and it was driving me crazy that I may not get that hive. I figured if I hang one of those Scions maybe they would land on that versus the neighbors tree, making it easy for me to get.


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## GaryG74 (Apr 9, 2014)

I put a cotton ball soaked in lemongrass oil on a limb (about chest high) of an apple tree about 30 feet south of my hives last year. I re-soaked it after a hard rain. I caught 8 or 9 swarms (from my hives) on that limb. I checked it two or three times a day during swarm season, usually between 10am and 3pm. I put it low enough so I wouldn't have to use a ladder, just stacked two deeps sideways and set a drop cloth over them and my receiving hive on top of that. Shake the limb and the swarms dropped neatly into the hive. Before the cotton ball I had swarms in the tops of trees and lots of other more difficult locations.


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

All my surplus drawl equipment become a swarm trap. I leave it all in the field.


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

I keep an empty hive box or two at yards and it's only a matter of time for a swarm to move in. I bait it but leave it set up where I don't have to move it once the bees move in.
I also have bait boxes at friends and family, whoever is ok with temporary bee hive on their property.


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## georgiabees (Feb 2, 2010)

My-smokepole said:


> All my surplus drawl equipment become a swarm trap. I leave it all in the field.


WELL SAID
I use 1 deep bait box per every 10 hives in outyards or 4 bait boxes and get 1 or 2 a year,
BUT drop off a load of drawn supers April 1st and tell them not to use them 
Guess where swarms will be headed.

John Pluta http://GeorgiaBees.blogspot.com


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## Beardedbee1 (Feb 10, 2015)

I definetly will bee putting up a box this weekend


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