# How do I paint camouflage bee hive traps/lures?



## AmericasBeekeeper (Jan 24, 2010)

Just set the leaves on the trap and spray around them with the background color.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Here's what I am going to try with unassembled parts. Probably rub the back side of the pine with linseed oil to try to keep the pain from sticking there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCRcfgjidIY

And this one is interesting but more costly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YB9YtesgL2Y


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

Lauri Thank You...


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## Tenbears (May 15, 2012)

Camo dipping a bee hive will be a pain Just spray your base gray or tan color on. Then random pattern of a green color or two. take a local leaf or two hold them by the stem against the box and dust an outline with black. You can also do a few outlined with white. No buckets no tubs, no masking.


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

I did my first camo job ever last year. Pretty simple and straight forward. Mine wasn't perfect but it got the job done. I started with the lightest color and painted the entire box with it as a base. Then I grabbed a couple branches with some leaves on them. I just held the branch against the box and shot around it. I moved it around to different locations and different directions. Just a quick shot of spray paint. I did that multiple times using the darker colored paints. Youtube has a bunch of videos.

I know it's hard to tell but there is a swarm trap in this picture.:lookout:


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## Paulemar (Aug 28, 2013)

soarwitheagles said:


> PS I have posted a pic of my federal spy version...
> 
> View attachment 21169


Your federal spy version looks pretty good. All you need is some vertical striping to match the tree trunk and it will be nearly invisible.


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

Lauri said:


> Here's what I am going to try with unassembled parts. Probably rub the back side of the pine with linseed oil to try to keep the pain from sticking there.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCRcfgjidIY
> 
> ...


Great ideas! Thanks Laurie for the tutorials! Wow, never saw how that hyro camouflage works! Cool! 



AmericasBeekeeper said:


> Just set the leaves on the trap and spray around them with the background color.


Now that sounds much easier!



Tenbears said:


> Camo dipping a bee hive will be a pain Just spray your base gray or tan color on. Then random pattern of a green color or two. take a local leaf or two hold them by the stem against the box and dust an outline with black. You can also do a few outlined with white. No buckets no tubs, no masking.


I like your idea!



flyin-lowe said:


> I did my first camo job ever last year. Pretty simple and straight forward. Mine wasn't perfect but it got the job done. I started with the lightest color and painted the entire box with it as a base. Then I grabbed a couple branches with some leaves on them. I just held the branch against the box and shot around it. I moved it around to different locations and different directions. Just a quick shot of spray paint. I did that multiple times using the darker colored paints. Youtube has a bunch of videos.
> 
> I know it's hard to tell but there is a swarm trap in this picture.:lookout:


Nice job!



Paulemar said:


> Your federal spy version looks pretty good. All you need is some vertical striping to match the tree trunk and it will be nearly invisible.


LOL! Ok, I will give it a whirl!


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

I forgot give you the bad news, my camo pattern did not work! They still found it.


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

Flyin' low,

Awesome paint job!

You just made my day! Awesome swarm and you have just confirmed that I definitely do not have a swarm, but, rather just a handful of robber bees making the most of the opportunity I gave them!

Sure is painful to discover I have been in imagination land for the last couple of days, thinking I just caught my first swarm...


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

Typically I go with a base color, light, paint the entire box. Then I sweep it with browns and greens. I use a stencil to put a bark pattern, leaves or grass. 
Keep in mind: that the box will not be seen from the top as you are painting it but from below, that your goal is to break up the shape so try to bring your patterns across the edges and corners, that you are better off darker rather than lighter for where you are putting it, it will likely be against a trunk.
Also remember you will be pulling them at night, make them easy to remove in the dark.
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/posting/swarm trap2_zpsdwscndwa.jpg
http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/DSCF4435_zps4d5f9932.jpg


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I never paint a trap camouflage, I never out them up in a tree. I caught 50 this year. But that does not go to say that you can do both.


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## flyin-lowe (May 15, 2014)

Don't base what you have on my photo. That was a trap I set and was not able to check the entire month of July due to some schedule issues. I went to take it down the first week of August and it was loaded. They had been in there quite some time because I only had 1 frame of drawn comb in when I set it. They had all 7 fames drawn out and the trap probably weighed 30-40 pounds, so they had been in there a while.

My understanding is if you see them brining in pollen then you likely have a swarm.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Here is a good way that is cheap and quick for woodland camo:










It takes me no more time to burn and rub this with my beexwax/linseed oil paste than it would be to paint it. It has no drying time like paint does and is a natural attractant with the pine and wax smell. It holds up well in my climate and needs no prep if you need to refinish it.

Hinged and latch on the screened inner cover gives you ventilation & a positive closure when transporting.


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

How about using the fake silk/plastic plants/leaves from the
art decoration section in your local specialty store?
You can attach a few branches in front of your swarm trap while leaving
the entrance open. And paint your swarm trap the same color as the
tree trunk too. What else is better than the reusable leaves every year?


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

minz said:


> Typically I go with a base color, light, paint the entire box. Then I sweep it with browns and greens. I use a stencil to put a bark pattern, leaves or grass.
> Keep in mind: that the box will not be seen from the top as you are painting it but from below, that your goal is to break up the shape so try to bring your patterns across the edges and corners, that you are better off darker rather than lighter for where you are putting it, it will likely be against a trunk.
> Also remember you will be pulling them at night, make them easy to remove in the dark.
> http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/posting/swarm trap2_zpsdwscndwa.jpg
> http://i1141.photobucket.com/albums/n599/6minz/DSCF4435_zps4d5f9932.jpg


minz, thanks for the great ideas....may I ask where you purchased your stencils?



odfrank said:


> I never paint a trap camouflage, I never out them up in a tree. I caught 50 this year. But that does not go to say that you can do both.


Frank,

50 swarms in one year? Wow! What is your secret?



flyin-lowe said:


> Don't base what you have on my photo. That was a trap I set and was not able to check the entire month of July due to some schedule issues. I went to take it down the first week of August and it was loaded. They had been in there quite some time because I only had 1 frame of drawn comb in when I set it. They had all 7 fames drawn out and the trap probably weighed 30-40 pounds, so they had been in there a while.
> 
> My understanding is if you see them brining in pollen then you likely have a swarm.


flyin-lowe,

Ok, thanks for giving me hope! I am fairly certain my swarm box only had visits from a couple hundred robber bees because they hung out for 2 days, then after taking the little amount of sugar syrup, now only a couple of bees visit the box...



Lauri said:


> Here is a good way that is cheap and quick for woodland camo:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Lauri,

Beautiful boxes! Very western looking and I like your ranch style colors! May I ask where can I purchase one of those circle metal pieces for the hole in the box?



beepro said:


> How about using the fake silk/plastic plants/leaves from the
> art decoration section in your local specialty store?
> You can attach a few branches in front of your swarm trap while leaving
> the entrance open. And paint your swarm trap the same color as the
> tree trunk too. What else is better than the reusable leaves every year?


Beepro,

I will consider your ideas.

Thanks everyone!


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## Westhill (Jul 26, 2012)

Soarwitheagles, nice thread with interesting answers, thanks for posting your question. I have been wondering about this too.

You can get those circle metal entrance things from Mann Lake. I have them and I like how you can "dial" them to full entrance, queen excluder, ventilation only, or fully closed.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>Frank, 50 swarms in one year? Wow! What is your secret?

Good hunting grounds.


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## Little-John (Jun 18, 2015)

Camouflage ? One of these trees has a bait box ...










This is the one ...










Here's a close-up. Can you see it yet ?










Having a bit of fun with this - pic of the bait box itself, and some tips tomorrow.


LJ


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## beepro (Dec 31, 2012)

Oh, I see. Yes, I see it.
All hiding behind those leaves and branches.
This was what I suggested to soar before using the fake silk or plastic leaves.
Nice hiding place for the trap, eh.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I wonder if all that hiding the traps lowers the catch rate.


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## Lauri (Feb 1, 2012)

Here's a swarm trap about 4 feet high on a tree in one of my Mountain yards










Hanging on my fence at home (With the rachet strap) :


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## minz (Jan 15, 2011)

“minz, thanks for the great ideas....may I ask where you purchased your stencils?”
I think it was cabela’s. I had them to paint my duck boat. 
“wonder if all that hiding the traps lowers the catch rate.”
I think that the bees do not need to see a hive to find a spot to move into. How would they find hollow trees? I could be wrong but I think it is mostly scent. I was doing about 5-10 per year with LGO, last year I went to ‘Swarm Commander’ and only ended up with 3 dinks. Could just be that my spots dried up, Could have been the very warm winter. I could not smell any difference.


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

Little John,

I do not see it...I suppose I need to take some swarm box detective classes!

I do look forward to seeing more of your pictures!

Thanks for giving us more ideas!


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## Little-John (Jun 18, 2015)

soarwitheagles said:


> Little John,
> 
> I do not see it...I suppose I need to take some swarm box detective classes!
> 
> ...


You're welcome ! And, for anyone else who couldn't spot the bait box - here it is:










I think it's fair to say that a person would have needed to know beforehand that the box was there in order to spot it's presence. 

The tree I used is sited alongside a cart track used by the occasional dog-walker and bike-rider, so I wanted to get the bait box up as high as possible for reasons of safety, and to avoid attracting any of the two-legged foxes we get around here from time to time - so fixing it in position was 'a ladder job'.










Now although this swarm box worked excellently in the apiary (it attracted one particularly superb swarm which I've since bred from), it was to prove quite unsuitable for locating at height - and not just because a pigeon nested on top of it (which didn't help) - but because it was far too cumbersome to hold when fixing and retrieving whilst perched on top of a ladder.

So - if you intend working from a ladder - here's my 2 cent's worth ...

Shape: avoid the cubic shape I used - the best shape would be that of motorcycle pannier - roughly that of two 4-frame nucs placed one above the other.

Fixing: I used rope - stupid, stupid, stupid. [Both hands tying rope - no hands on the ladder !] The best solution would be to fix a vertical plank, say around 4" wide to the back of the box, with around 18" showing above and 6" below. Drill a 15mm hole somewhere near the top of that plank. Then, ascend the ladder without the box - and drive a 4" nail into a vertical(ish) branch or thin trunk at roughly 45 degrees. Then you can hook the box onto that nail and, using the lower end of the plank, secure the box to the tree with light rope to stop it from swinging around.

Box entrance - whatever you choose, keep it simple. I initially used a sliding door, which warped and jammed thanks to the weather. So - when back in the apiary - that was removed and replaced by holes to take standard wine corks (hence the strip of new brown paint over the camouflage). 

Exterior: avoid like the plague anything shiny or metallic which may catch the sun and draw attention to the box. If you haven't got matt paint, sprinkle powdered chalk onto paint whilst it's still tacky, and run a roller over it. Brush off when dry, then 'paint' the surface with citric acid solution to dissolve any chalk still attached. This then leaves a reasonably matt finish. To make Drab Olive paint - mix yellow with a little black, and add just a hint of red.

Inside: a couple of old black combs works wonders. And - if you should decide upon a hinged or otherwise attached top, then place a sheet of thick polythene between the top and frame top-bars to prevent the bees from attaching to it. As you can see, I used a telescoping lid (which has a layer of polystyrene inside, covered in polythene) - ideal for use on the ground, but not really suitable at height where it can so easily come adrift if caught on a branch.

I think that's about it. Good luck - and 'good hunting'.

LJ


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## soarwitheagles (May 23, 2015)

Little John,

Nice set up! I like how you set the lure up in a manner that no one can find it.

Thanks again for the great ideas. 

Do doubt you have helped many of us build much better traps/lures!

Soar


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Old thread I know but some camo burlap from Amazon etc is only about $12.00 for 54"X12". That is enough to cover a whole lot of traps.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

May be one trap..


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## challenger (May 27, 2009)

Ooops, size typo. I got the delivery today it just so happens. The material is 54"X12' not 12".
Thanks


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

Ok, you can cover some with that, sounds like a good price too.


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## sweetas (Apr 16, 2012)

Military clothing would be one of the best guides for camouflage. The boxes also look as though they are 6-8-10 frames!!!. Smaller boxes would be less conspicuous.


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