# Done trapping for the year



## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

I am in the process of taking my traps down, as I can get to them. I had a zero success rate. Hoping next year will be better. Although lemongrass oil is said by some to be as effective as swarm commander, I am considering trying it (swarm commander). I'd like to get a hold of some brood comb as well, but wasn't successful last year. Going to widen my search to the whole local beekeeper association.

Also tried to buy old deeps (I was looking for ones he couldn't use anymore and I'd make traps from them) from a local beek who retails honey[thought the smell of propolized equipment would help attract swarms]. He absolutely will not sell equipment. *SIGH*.

Best wishes to all on their trapping this year and next and good luck on the overwintering.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

When did you set out traps? How many? Thanks.


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## Steve in PA (Jan 26, 2015)

Is there anything to catch? I tried for a whole season and caught nothing. But, I also saw few if any feral bees. Maybe less than 10 all year.

I gave up and bought them last spring. I see more bees around now so I assume they are mine.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Cmarch
I had 12 traps out last year and caught nothing. I had 16 out this year and caught 3. I left my traps out all year and two of the swarms were in traps that did not catch then. I had all just built equipment that had never been used for bees. I put them on the side of trees where I could reach them from the ground. I did have two old black combs that a guy had given me. I cut them up into 2 inch peices and put in the traps. I used lemon grass oil on a qtip in a zip lock and did not refresh. I spred my traps thinner by picking on relitives but two of the swarms were caught in traps that did not catch last year. I don't have near the luck of some on this site but keep your chin up and keep t

rying and it will probly happen. I used every free piece of wood I could find to build my stuff. I don't have one thing that was actually a hive till I put it together.

I like the chip board for the traps if you find anyone with scraps. I try for a deep lang for size comparison.

Good luck 
gww

Ps the guy you know may have some junk comb that a mouse got to or was so bad he won't use it. The guy that gave me mine had a bucket full of such comb.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

psm1212 said:


> When did you set out traps? How many? Thanks.


Over the season I ended up with 6 traps at five sites.

One trap was below ideal size and maybe too thin (two baskets connected together)

All the rest of the traps were within the ideal size range.

1 plastic
2 cardboard*
2 wood (constructed them myself)

Want to build a few more over the winter for next year, but need to find more locations. Construction goal for the winter (1 more cardboard (already started), and two wood ones. Also want to finish my KTBH and build 1 more and 1 KTBH nuc).

I initially painted (2 coats) the wood and cardboard traps. This isn't enough for the cardboard. For the 2nd cardboard one and later the original cardboard one, I coated them in paraffin mixed with a small amount of beeswax. Then they hold up well.

I believe I saw a scout sitting at the entrance of my one cardboard trap. The closest I came.

I tried handing traps higher in trees using rope (over a limb). I think they twist far too much then. Going for more solid hanging methods going forward.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Steve in PA said:


> Is there anything to catch? I tried for a whole season and caught nothing. But, I also saw few if any feral bees. Maybe less than 10 all year.
> 
> I gave up and bought them last spring. I see more bees around now so I assume they are mine.


I think there maybe a few to catch (but not as many as I'd like). I saw bees at one location that I think was because it was within a mile of an orchard, I saw bees at my house briefly on a short intense bloom of Canadian thistle. I saw a few bees at a few other locations. There is someone in PA (who I believe participates on this forum) who lives in near my area, but traps out in Indiana, PA -- he seems rather successful. So my guess is that it's rather hit or miss, and somewhat to luck. But I can save significant bucks compared to a package if I'm successful, and I'm hoping feral bees will be "survivor" bees.


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## Clairesmom (Jun 6, 2012)

After many years of not trapping swarms, I decided to put some traps up this year. I got a really late start because I was laid up in the Spring with a back injury. I did not feel like spending time driving around looking for locations, asking permission, etc. So what I did was post an ad on a local facebook buy/sell/swap page asking for people to "host" my traps. I offered a pint jar of honey as "rent" and had more responders than I had traps to put out.

I did not catch any swarms, but did not really expect to as I did not get traps out until late July. Did not expect, but hoped, lol. Mainly I got them out to secure the locations for next year, and to work out hanging methods, hardware, etc. Kind of work the bugs out this year so that I will have everything ready to go early next season.

What worked great using this method is that many of the responders reported that they had already had swarms in their yards this year, or last year, so I figured those would be good locations- either in a place near managed (mis-managed?) hives, or just a place which for some reason is attractive to swarms. Those will be the first locations I stock with traps next Spring.

Another thing I did which might or might not be helpful is that, whenever I was out driving around, I would occasionally pull over to the side of a country road, stop the car, and just sit and observe whatever wildflowers/plants were blooming in the area, to see if there were any honey bees around. In most cases there were, but a few times I did not see any at all- those would be places where I would probably not bother to put up traps simply because I figure the odds are higher of catching swarms in areas where I know there are bees. 

Don't give up- it can take awhile to get the hang of swarm trapping, and to find good locations, but once you successfully catch some swarms, odds are that you will continue to catch more in those locations. 

Good luck.


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## Mr.Beeman (May 19, 2012)

I trapped for a couple of years with little success. What I did do to increase my success dramatically was to place an add on craigslist and local bee removal sites. I got on average 5-6 calls per week during swarm season to remove swarms. No driving around wasting fuel and time only to come up empty handed.


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## mcon672 (Mar 5, 2015)

Don't give up the swarms are out there. Use 10 frame deeps. They can be née just rub some propolis around the inside of the entrance. Use swarm commander, you won't be sorry. One bottle will last all season. Don't put the up high, not necessary. Put them where you can easily rescent and access them. We ran 18 to 20 traps this year and caught 29 swarms, not bad but some on here do WAY better. You need to rescent every 7 to 10 days. Get your traps out early, here we shoot for April 1st. A small piece of old brood comb is definitely helpful. We try to hang them in areas that I feel are easy for the bees to find and recognize like an old lone tree in a field or on the edge of the treeline along a field or right of way. We hang them so they are shaded by the tree they are in but also have a clear open path to the entrance. They don't seem to like the traps where they have to fly through a bunch of brush and branches to get to them. Haven't had much luck in the woods, all of our success has been along the edges. We try to play the wind and place traps in a location where the scent will be dispersed in an area that the bees are already working. No sense on having your scent blow out over a river or somewhere the bees won't be going. The traps are hung in a y of the tree using two 2x4's. Just level a 2x4 and screw it into the tree. Then set your deep on it, push the other 2x4 up to the bottom of the trap and level the deep from front to back (it's already level side to side because the first 2x4 is level) and screw the 2nd 2x4 in place. I usually run a screw through the bottom of the trap into one of the 2x4's just to hold it in place. We have only been doing this for two years. Learned everything on here from multiple threads. Definitely get the swarm commander. We tried lgo in a few traps last year and didn't catch a thing with it so switched all traps to sc. Haven't had much luck with anything but 10 frame deeps, the fiber pot traps are worthless IMHO. You need at least 5 traps out in different locations. Good luck don't give up. One last thing, of a site doesn't produce one year try moving your trap to a different spot. My in laws place didn't produce a single swarm year before last so this year we moved trap about 50 yards and caught 4 swarms there!


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## Reef Resiner (Jun 9, 2015)

Best results for me was traps ultimately. Call pest control companies and get your name on CL as well. If you are lucky enough to get calls and pick up swarms, you can ask the residents of its OK to set up a trap there. Trap size seems to be extremely important (from what I've experienced so far.) Probably shouldnt run less than 40L volume size. Not sure how effective LGO is here. Been using swarm commander with great results. All traps weren't higher than 4 feet off the ground and were strapped to a tree.

Best of luck.


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