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Swarm Trapping - 2014

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Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby matrout76 » Wed Apr 02, 2014 2:19 pm

Has anyone in Central Indiana set out their swarm traps yet?

When (approximately) will hives start swarming?

If you have any tips or tricks to trapping swarms, please post them here!

I am planning on getting my swarm traps put together this weekend, but am trying to figure out when I should set them out.

Any info or help posted here is greatly appreciated!
Matt
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby hive dipper » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:35 am

You have time to get your traps out. The bees should swarm late this year because of the late spring, but no guarantees! I try to look at how much drone brood is being produced because they won't swarm without drones for mating. Tom Seeley has great info on swarms in his Honey Bee Democracy book. He recommends swarm traps with the volume of around 40 gal., deep hive body size. Also if you can get them 12 - 15 feet of the ground it's more attractive. If you have an empty drawn comb, more attractive, and some lemongrass oil on a cotton ball or swarm trap lure in the bow might help. Some scouting goes on before the swarm leaves but a lot takes place while the swarm is hanging. Hope this helps. In his experiments he found that a plywood box around 15 in. x 15 in. x 15 in. was a preffered size with an opening near the bottom, 2 1/2 to 5 square inches.
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby matrout76 » Thu Apr 03, 2014 12:37 pm

Hive Dipper,

Thank for the response!

I put out one swarm trap last spring and believe a swarm landed in it for a few days before moving on to a different location. In that trap was 4 frames of foundation and a q-tip with lemongrass oil on it. My swarm traps have an internal volume of approximately 50 liters...I think you meant 40 liters and NOT gallons in your post.

This year I have plenty of drawn comb (2 dead hives worth) and more knowledge. I am going to put at the locations of my dead hives a bottom board with entrance reducer, deep hive body, 3 frames of drawn comb, 3 foundationless frames with wood starter strips (more on these later), inner cover and telescoping cover with lemongrass oil on a q-tip. All of this equipment will be used equipment from last year and will smell like "bees" :D

My trap from last year is going in the same place about 6' off the ground. It is a deep hive body with a "swarm trap adapter" on the bottom...essentially a 1.75" tall hive body with a 1" hole in the front and 1/2" hardware cloth on the inside keeping the birds out...I'll post a photo when I figure it out. It too will have 3 frames of drawn comb, 3 foundationless frames with wood starter strips, a plywood cover, and lemongrass oil on a q-tip.

I'm going to put together a few more of the Deep hive body with swarm trap adapters and set them a few places. I have a friend that lives 1/4 mile from an orchard and will try to get him to let me set one at his house.

The "foundationless frames with wood starter strips" is something I came up with after hearing more about topbar hives. In reality, these are just a 19" long top bar with groove cut in them for a wood starter strip. If honeybees take up residence in one of my swarm traps, I want to try to guide them into where to build comb. If they don't, I'm only out some scrap wood I had laying around anyway. the starter strip is held in place with a couple of staples, so if I get comb, I can just pull the staples, remove the comb with the wood strip attached, insert the wood strip into a grooved top frame, staple it in placeand rubberband it like doing a cut-out...it seems like it might work...I guess i'll find out.
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby Phutch » Thu Apr 03, 2014 10:19 pm

I saw the email so I too thought it a good idea to start posting.
I plan on setting out several swarm traps but will try to trap at some other sites away from home, with permission of friends of course. I have a variety of misc size box options and also, unfortunately, fortunately, a lot of extra drawn comb. I hope to catch at least one.
Interestingly , my survivors are my swarm I captured last year and they are agressive.
Lets hope for a great year for the bees
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby matrout76 » Mon Apr 14, 2014 9:46 am

I was able to get 3 swarm traps set out on Friday night. Each one has 3 frames of brood comb and 3 of my "top-bars". On Saturday afternoon, I had honeybees checking out the one in my yard, so hopefully that's a good sign!

I still need to get the 4th set-up at my friends house that is next to an orchard, but it may be a couple weeks before I can get over there.

Anyone else have theirs out yet?
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby ryanissamson » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:23 am

"New to beekeeping" question:

Do you have much success with swarm traps? Are they successful for you most of time? half of the time? etc. I'm trying to feel out if I should put a lot of effort in getting a trap or two out in my back yard.
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby x-sfmed » Fri Apr 25, 2014 8:09 pm

I put on out last week out at my lot. I found a feral hive that made it through this past winter and I will honestly put out 4 or 5 more so that I can capture those genetics. Its early but with the feral hives its hard to tell how big or small the hive actually is and thus overcrowding can possibly happen sooner.
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby ryanissamson » Fri Apr 25, 2014 11:48 pm

Very cool!
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Re: Swarm Trapping - 2014

Postby matrout76 » Tue May 13, 2014 1:33 pm

I just saw a post on Beesource.com where a guy in Fairfield Ohio just caught a swarm...so the time is getting closer!

Fairfield is about 80 miles southeast of Indy near Cincinnati. I was down there on April 12th and 13th and their trees seems to be about a week ahead of ours.

I'll probably freshen-up the lemongrass oil in my swarm traps this weekend and hope to catch a swarm!
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