# Swarm Trap questons from a Newbee



## Bradley_Bee (May 21, 2008)

I put my traps out in March when we start getting our first swarms. Thats about 2 months after our beginning blooms. This may be different in your area.

Put them on land where you know there not going to be messed with or unwanted. If needed explain to the land owner what they are and what might be the benefits. I often put them in places where people are calling me to come remove swarms alot. I explain that If i put these traps out it gives the bees an option to go into your electric box or into my trap box , and my trap box may be more desirable .

Lastly , Put as many out as you can or can remember where you placed them. They're traps. and its a good rule that as many as you put it out may mean more swarms caught. Don't be surprised if you put 20 in one place and only get 1 swarm or even none. It happens. More often than not. 

Happy Hunting.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Ask around and see if you can find when the main flow is and when the prime swarm season is. Basically, though, when your bees really start to take off in the spring is when I'd put them out. Sometime after that will be prime swarm season. A month before the main flow, if that's the date you have is good. Or a few weeks before prime swarm season, if you can get that from someone.

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


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## outofabluesky (Feb 20, 2010)

I put out 10 traps last year and caught 6 swarms. The trick is to put them out before you get busy with other things. Spring is chaotic for beeks.


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## jb63 (Jun 15, 2010)

I put mine out in april. A swarm in may is worth a bale of hay. a swarm in june is worth a silver spoon. There are different variations on July, but the poem has been around for ever. Public land means we own it. You can hunt,fish,ride horses,hike..etc. I would set them so they aren't to hard to check. It's fun going out to check the traps, you,ll get hooked.


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## Grant (Jun 12, 2004)

I put my traps up prior to the time I start getting swarm calls. Early April is best for me to put them up here in Southeast Missouri. By the 4th of July, we're done with swarms.

My first year I put up a swarm trap in late May and caught my first swarm within a week. I transferred the bees to a colony and put the swarm trap back up. I caught another swarm within five days. After transferring the swarm, trap went back up. I started trolling the catalogs thinking I needed to get more equipment.

I never caught another swarm that season, and didn't catch any the following year. It's a lot like fishing, or like here in SE Missouri, like deer hunting. Some years you succeed, other years you don't see a thing. But you still sit up in that deer stand thinking this is going to be your year!

Grant
Jackson, MO http://maxhoney.homestead.com

http://swarmtrapping.homestead.com


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## reneal (Sep 6, 2006)

Well, I'm slightly off topic since you asked about swarm traps. However, since you're wanting more bees, my experience is that getting your name on a swarm collection list, like the one here on Beesource is much more effective than putting out traps. Of course that may vary a lot depending on your area & whether or not you can drop other things to go out & collect a swarm.


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

So... What did you all use for lure?


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## n1rcv (Dec 8, 2010)

I would also have an empty hive set up where you have your existing hive. With at least one used frame in it with some beeswax still on it. The rest can be new frames.

One of the members in the bee club I belong to is a first year beekeeper. She bought one package and put it in her first hive this spring. She also set up a used hive to get it ready for another package that she was going to buy. A swarm of bees moved in before she could get the package.

So she set a third used hive intending to purchase the second package and put in the third hive. Before she could get the second package of bees another swarm moved into the third hive.

I talked to her a couple of weeks ago and all three hives were still alive. The two swarms were smaller than the package that she started.

Have a good day.

William


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>So... What did you all use for lure? 

I have tried many things. The single most effective lure is lemongrass essential oil. If you want to up the odds, some QMP (either as a quarter stick of "Bee Boost" from Mann Lake or Queen Juice from putting retired queens in a jar of alcohol) is the next most attractive thing. Old brood comb would be next. A used hive would be right after that. So the IDEAL would be an old well used bee box with one frame of old dark brood comb, a few drops of lemongrass oil and a few drops of queen juice (or some "Bee Boost"). Ideal size would be about the size of a single deep, but I've had plenty of luck with five frame deep nucs or eight frame medium boxes. Ideally it would be more than 12 feet up a tree, but I get tired of hauling around a ladder that tall and the lemongrass oil seems to overcome any objections they have to a lower location. But I still try to put them as high as I can easily get with a six foot step ladder.

You can also buy the commercially available lures. I have used them as well. They are more expensive and work no better than the lemongrass oil.

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


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## JBees (Feb 9, 2010)

@ out of a blue sky-----Thanks for the you tube educational videos as well. I've learned a lot from them. And to all who speak to us directly here.

:applause::banana::applause:


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

Thanks for the info, Michael. I'll check out the link. Ps - enjoyed your recent podcast on Organically Managed Beekg.

For anyone interested....
http://somdbeekeeper.com/2011/12/23...mdbk+(Organically+Managed+Beekeeping+Podcast)


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