Loved your comment about not forgetting to read the Bible. God bless.

Now thats how you do it! Never again will I put empty frames in a hive or swarm trap! ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS use starter strips when using a Layens style hives. My first experience with Layens swarm traps I was lazy and only put 1 full sheet of foundation on 1 frame in the trap! The bees cross combed 4 of the 6 frames. Fortunately they only use those frames for their brood nest frames. But still, I can't pull those frames out and take a look at them. Lesson learned! Funny, that's my best hive too! Anyway, I have a couple of used but still working lawn tractor batteries that I can charge up and use for this. I think I will! Where did ya get the wires? Thanks for sharing!

Are you using an insulated horizontal hive?

In the one colony/hive box you had on the ground with mulch in it, I'd've put peat moss in a box, not on the ground like you did, but on a stand with a bottom in it and a screened ventilation hole in the bottom (about 6 to 8 inches long and about 2 inches wide) with some good stainless screen in it (smallest mesh you can find) ... Small hive beetles are picked up from the ground and they fly up to a hive, as well as other pests that will reek havoc in your hive, mice, rats, voles and such plus other insects and ground moisture ... go to the Enjoy Beekeeping channel as he's got a video (Layen's Hive Modifications) about that very subject (putting peat moss in the hive box) ... wishing you the best with your bee yard and God love you ...

Good Mr. I have a videos too. kzbin.info/www/bejne/pInck5l6jMysnq8

now your bees will build straight comb, yay.

cockroaches seem to like my swarm traps too