Homemade Swarm Trap

Robert Kloss previews a homemade bee swarm capture device based upon a design from Linda's Bees Blog (beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/). Bob discusses how it was built and how to use it. Video captured at the NWNJBA Early Spring Meeting March 25th, 2012.
NWNJBA is a member of the New Jersey Beekeepers Association (NJBA)
For more videos and beekeeping education visit the following websites:
NWNJBA - nwba.njbeekeepers.org
NJBA - www.njbeekeepers.org

[@davemeeks8109]

I often hear that elevated traps are best. However all the swarms I catch are at ground level. I set up a hive as if the bees already occupies that hive. I place them right next to a favorite flowering bush. A bush that is returned to every day, with lots of blooms. In no time at all bees will be living there. These hives turn out to be the strongest hives I've ever had.

[@nwnjba]

In nature bees are often congregating at the tree tops so yes, higher more important then sturdy. If whatever is deployed is strong enough to contain the bees for the time they need to be in there then mission accomplished. We've seen people literally use cardboard boxes.

[@nwnjba]

Sorry, didn't see your question from a month ago, it slipped by. If you look at our videos, we do make it a point to reply in a timely manner where asked a question. Apologies for taking so long to get yours from before.

[@Johnfor3]

I found them at the local nursery and put one together. I have caught 2 swarms this year in it my second one I just got today. DSCF4433

[@HerbaceousM8]

thanks for the tips. i have an interesting issue. i am at a nursery and our neighbors bees have swarmed and ended up somewhere in/around the house. going to hunt them down tomorrow and needed a way to displace them. flower pots are the easy find, but finding the swarm might be the harder part. any tips to locate the swarm? they might be in a garage, eves, attic?

[@honeeproducer34]

For the past 3 years I've done more sturdy wooden traps, however, I may try something I can put higher in a tree to go after more feral bees.

[@nwnjba]

I'm going to assume that you're referring to the foam spray. He chose that as a means to seal the holes but could one could easily use something else to seal up the holes - such as clay or plaster of paris or something.... While we understand the sentiment, the incidental contact for time spent in the trap would be miniscule. It would make more sense not to use the foam in a real hive, but its probably not a detriment in this use case.

[@CrossroadToCountry]

It may work but you have to do a cutout once you catch a swarm. Swarms will find it if you bait it. You don't have to hang it high. Its dangerous getting swarm traps down if its high up. Ladders are really dangerous with a hive of angry bees. Never put honey in a swarm trap. Bees will just rob it out.

[@mishagray2835]

Great Info, thank you for sharing!

[@dfishman76]

On,y bad thing about putting old comb in a empty hive is wax moths and hive beatles

[@jimweaver7592]

Nope. Use it all the time never have had any trouble:

[@tugandbuster]

You can get waxed fiber pots at earlmay.com, cheap, so you don't have to weather-seal your pots.

[@paganpoetprophet6441]

why must you face south or southwest ?

[@jimweaver7592]

You don’t have to. That’s bs.

[@VictorFursov]

Thank you for nice Video! Good luck beekeeping! :)

[@Dr_Oleg_Kulikov]

A great idea. I will use it. Recently, we bought 3 hives of Apis cerana and at night brought them home. I did not expect that just the next morning about 9 am a swarm went out from one of the hives. It took may be a quarter of hour for them to get out. Very different from Apis mellafera, IMO. I did not prepare a new empty hive for bees as we did not think to buy bees that day and did not expect the swarm will go so promptly after the relocation. OK, the bees actually went not too far, i.e. about 30 meters from the old one and made a nest beneath a huge pile of old planks and boards just inside an old tractor tire at a neighboring yard. I am going to try to get them into my hives. Not easy to get trough the pile to them, so I hesitate for awhile. It is in Thailand and my first experience with Apis cerana. With the idea of the swarm trap we will try to catch wild bees. Will honey in the old comb help to attract the bees to the trap? How to avoid wax moths from the trap? In the hives we bought there were old comb foundations and a lot of wax moths dead. Seems so that they were feasting on the combs till bees came inside. Many thanks for shearing the video.

[@nwnjba]

It is possible that wax moths will find the comb you put in. You only need a small amount and part of maintaining the traps is to look in every once in a while to see if the comb is in good shape. In our experience wax moth rarely present a problem. Honey could be an attractant but often people say to put some lemongrass in there. It is a similar compound to queen pheromone and works like a lure. Simply having the trap be the right size for a prospective scout, having the entrance facing the right direction, putting some old comb to feign that it used to be a hive, and having it high up in the air provide the some additional chances at success.

[@Dr_Oleg_Kulikov]

nwnjba Many thanks indeed. In Thailand we have a lot of lemongrass in gardens. We also can buy a lemongrass oil extract, it is about 4 USD for 25 ml bottle, as I was thinking to buy today. Asian bees, i.e. Apis cerana, are smaller in size and colonies are rarely have above 10,000 bees. So, they prefer a smaller hive than Apis mellifera. I wish to try a trap hive of about 10 liter in volume and put metal bars about 3-4 mm diameter at distance 30 mm between them to help bees to start a colony if we are late to catch the trap hive. Such a hive can probably can be used for longer times. If so, it is probably a way to make beekeeping with Asian bees cheaper and simpler as a flower pot or a plastic bin for rubbish are available here just for 1 USD. There are a few flowers yet in Thailand, as we are have a dry and cold season in December. So, I give to the bees a sugar syrup 60% concentration in plastic bags. I make many holes at the top of the filled bag and put them into the hives. Bees are sucking syrup out of the bags and not getting drawn. Very convenient. There is a problem with the Apis cerana that they do not accept artificial foundations. Also, wax from them is different from A. mellifera by composition. We bought 14 kg of the A. mellifera wax to coat the frames. I see that my bees are not using it and seems to be not attracted to such wax at all. What about the use of an artificial essential oil that smells like honey to be used in a trap hive? Did anybody try it? Such oil is available to buy in Bangkok and I wish to try to add it to sugar syrup and to put plastic bags with the syrup in a trap hive. We are short in wax combs from original Apis cerana to make many trap hives. And I discovered that these bees pay no attention to the combs with honey from Apis mellifera. They eat honey, sure, yet they would prefer sugar syrup in bags to the combs if to put them side by side. So, I am afraid that arranging a comb from the A mellifera into a trap hive will be not as efficient to attract Apis carana as for the A. mellifera. Such combs would rather attract a wax moth and indeed do so, as I can see it in the hives I bought from locals. Thanks for your kind advising again. We will try trap hives as soon as a cold spell will be over in Thailand. These days are unusually cold. Bees are not much active in colder weather.

[@Johnfor3]

I was able to buy them at the local nursery for 6 bucks each

[@baconneggs2406]

Bees dont care how high it is lol

[@nwnjba]

Some say it matters and some know it doesn't. Researchers, like Professor Tom Seeley, have indicated that higher placement consistently yields better results. Your mileage may vary but Tom is pretty on the ball.

[@Swarmcommander]

Thanks for posting the video. You can also find the post here: www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/biodegradable-pots. The pots are actually infused with paraffin to make the weather resistant. I created a swarm lure called Swarm Commander that works well in these. You can find it at www.swarmcommander.com Thanks again for posting!

[@rickeydesi8237]

is high better than sturdy

[@jimweaver7592]

Better off with a wooden trap that will hold regular frames.

[@baconneggs2406]

P.s the ol guys standing behind you are thinking the same thing

[@prybar27]

I don't quite agree with the water seal. Bees are very sensitive to chemicals.

[@andysummers2742]

these peat pots are available at www.greenhousemegastore.com/containers-trays/plant-pots/western-pulp-round-pots

[@FreakyScaryChannel]

Use an electronic Bee Call with Queen Juice and you will fill all your traps if placed by early April...

[@baconneggs2406]

Not a good idea to put a frame of honey or comb in a empty hive...your begging for trouble and why rob petter to pay paul with these swarm traps...they are suppose to be easy? Doin cut outs isent easy jst build a swarm trap right in the first place is my opinion it will save you a headache in the end

[@ralphgresham6327]

WASP don't see the color BLUE. Paint it BLUE, PAINT THE UNDERSIDE OF YOUR EVES BLUE. Light blue (sky blue. A old FARMER who had an bee allergies,Told me this 50 years ago. WORK'S.

[@hunterdeers1]

Bad idea