Trying to catch bees with Swarm Traps: part 1

Trying to catch a swarm of bees with some off the cuff hive traps. This is an experiment that I'm trying as I've recently seen bees swarming in my area, specifically near my house. Hopefully I can give em' a home without it being MY home;)
Still need to do a lot of research, but figured I'd throw a couple swarm traps up in trees on my property to see if I can catch something. Hopefully, if successful, there will be a part two to this video:)
#swarmcapture
#beekeeping
#topbarhive
#diybeekeeping
#feralbees
#homesteadonomics
#beehive
#scrapwoodhive
I own 100% of the audio and visual content in this video. Music is created for my videos by my brother-in-law Trey Harris:) Thanks Trey!

[@WilAdams]

I loved your enthusiasm for building. America needs more men like you. I hope you have had success in all your endeavors.

[@blackberryhideout5793]

Good job, Joe! Looking forward to the update video when you've got a hive going.

[@homesteadonomics]

Blackberry Hideout haha... well, I've already talked to you so you know the update... just gonna wait for you to come down and do the transfer;)

[@kenlairson375]

As always a very good video. Good luck on catching your bees.

[@homesteadonomics]

Ken Lairson Thanks Ken... looks promising so far:)

[@henrypuyi5485]

Joe always inspiring! We are getting more snow in eastern Mass today so seeing blue sky and desert is a treat. Bear Down!

[@homesteadonomics]

Henry Pu Yi Thanks Henry... should have an update real soon:) And yes.. the weather has been really nice lately! Except for the 3pt storm that just hit UA today... uhh! Sad day for the Cats.. but overall a great season:)

[@AzCats89]

homesteadonomics I know. Tough to beat a team that hits 10 of 12 3 pointers in just the second half. One of those games that the other guys couldn't miss. They didn't play a bad game. I went to Notre Dame for grad school, so that was a heart breaker too. Something tells me that Kentucky will have their wins vacated in a few years as a result of a John Calipari cheating scandal. Just my prediction based on Caliparis past performance.

[@homesteadonomics]

AzCats89 Man I would've loved to see the Cats take down Kentucky! But that must have been great to see Notre Dame almost get it done... although heartbreaking, a great game nonetheless!

[@weetreebonsai]

That is super cool looking! Good luck and I hope you get some good bees for some honey!

[@homesteadonomics]

weetreebonsai Thanks WTB! Update coming soon!

[@raincoast9010]

Nice looking top bar hive.

[@cheaphomesteading]

rain coast agree

[@The10littleindian]

I have trapped approx. 6 swarms, go light on the lemon grass, to much act as a repellent and if you can obtain some old bee comb put a good size piece of it in side or rub inside with bees wax. good luck

[@homesteadonomics]

john reb Thanks for the tips John! I've been delving into bee info like crazy the last couple weeks. So far so good... both traps still have bees in them and I've put queen excluders on the entrances... even moved one of the boxes tonight (3+ miles) in preparation for the final location which is about1/4 or 1/2 mile from my house. Anyways, look for the update vid in a week or so. Hopefully I'll have both hives in my top bars soon:) Joe

[@cheaphomesteading]

john reb agree

[@noneofyourbusinez]

Can we get an update on this trap?

[@anastasiaharris9125]

One good tip for finding bees to catch that isn't used anymore but was used a hundred years ago or so, is to pee in a bucket and place the bucket somewhere where you may have seen a bee. Sugar water works too.. Just a fun fact.

[@fiedrish01]

Hi Joe, this looks awesome. Great work. Cannot wait to built mine. Can you share what's the thickness of the fence board you used? It is treated wood?

[@williamkilcullen9726]

thats nice.. just trying to have my self a hobby and thanks for sharing...

[@homesteadonomics]

William Kilcullen yes... it's a cool hobby for sure.... with an edge!

[@PermacultureHomestead]

First, totally like. native honey will be a good attractant but Lemongrass oil will work 100% for sure. make sure your "bee space" is right, I don't have the book here now but do a google search on proper bee spacing in a hive. good luck you will have no problem catching bees !

[@homesteadonomics]

Permaculture Prepper Hey PP... actually took some video today of the bees swarming... hopefully they'll stay:)

[@nicholi8933]

I think I was originally linked here from one of his videos, but Cody's Lab has been doing bees for years. If you have any questions he could possible help. He has a whole series based on making and maintaining bee hives. He recently made on in a flower pot. It is really neat. Your channel is very similar to his. Good luck with the bees.

[@davidsibert6674]

Get er done!

[@weswalker1208]

Sure does look like South Texas with the scrub brush as we call it here.

[@ashleylosurdo1808]

Where did you get the wood

[@jantyacke9224]

Should work OK but would suggest you do not smear honey on the top bars - it will attract wasps and hornets. Melt a thin strip of bees wax instead. If your lucky, the bees will take the hint and build comb down from the centre of the bar. Good luck! Chris Tyacke (beekeeper in France).

[@homesteadonomics]

jan tyacke Thanks Chris! I was actually going to go and wipe the honey off of the top bars after reading your comment but when I got home they had already started hitting the boxes.... lol.. crazy how fast they work! And I do appreciate the feedback and advice... hopefully they'll take up 'residence' in the hives and start building comb. Got some video today and should have a quick update soon. Thanks for the advice and it's great to hear all the way from France! btw-any advice on how long to wait before transferring the bars to the top bar hive? :) Merci de votre attention! Joe

[@jantyacke9224]

homesteadonomics Hi Joe. You can transfer the bars anytime really but would be inclined to let them build comb and for the queen to start laying. When you have capped brood and they are starting to fill the box with increased numbers, I would transfer them. If you transfer them too early, they may abscond from your TBH - if there is brood, they will be less likely to abscond. Hope this helps. Look forward to the video! Best wishes from accross the pond. Chris.

[@joshbottrall4707]

homesteadonomics Hi Joe. Great work on capturing the swarm! I am a beekeeper in Australia and just noticed a small design flaw with your swarm boxes that I wanted to let you know about (not having a go at you- just wanting to help). My concern is the timber that you have the top bars resting on (the 2x3's), and the shape of the box beneath the top bars. I am worried that if you leave the bees in the swarm trap too long, the bees will build comb on your top bars (like they are supposed to), but also affix the top bar to the timber supporting the top bars and the underside of the timber that the top bar is resting on (making it a big pain to get the top bars and soft new comb out of the swarm trap cleanly). Hope you understand what I mean! Welcome to beekeeping! It is truly addictive, especially when you first try your own honey! Keep up the great work with the channel- i thoroughly enjoy watching your videos! Kind Regards, Josh.

[@homesteadonomics]

Josh Bottrall Hey Josh, thanks for the tips! I'm learning so much right now and making a lot of mistakes too...lol. AND your comment is spot on... about the comb building. I did my transfer to my topbar hive (video to come soon) and I had no idea they would have built that much comb in that short of time. I was basically putting a square comb in a slanted top bar hive...ouch! World's worst bee transfer;) And they had started building the comb in the space under the rest, just like you said...lol! I was figuring they would've only have a small piece of comb right in the middle but it was connected to one side. Overall, the job got done but I've since made slanted inner walls to that swarm box. However, I still have my other swarm box to transfer in a couple days and I'm expecting the same thing so I'm going to build another top bar but instead of slanted walls I think I'm just going to build a rectangle with straight walls to hopefully accomodate the combs that they have built. After that I think I'm going to start building my top bar hives with swarm boxes of the same exact dimensions!! Oh well, we live and learn right:) Thanks for the advice and please let me know if you have any other suggestions that I might want to consider! Joe

[@mikeries8549]

Another little trick from another beekeeper. Mix some drinking alcohol...everclear (98% pure alcohol) with some propolis. Let it sit a while and the propolis will melt. Use a paint brush and paint the mixture on the insides of your swarm traps. They'll smell real good like a bee hive.

[@mikeries8549]

7:33. Do NOT locate a swarm trap so high that you can't look inside of it to check to see if you've caught one. Keep the top of your trap just below eye level on the step ladder. Great plan and great tree just don't set yourself up to wish you'd have placed it lower. Keep it about 6' off the ground. That's high enough to where they'll smell your bait. A spritz of swarm commander (one spray) and you're good to go.

[@darkangelsoaps8258]

I have a vegan friend who doesnt consume any products made by other creatures including milk and honey. To each their own but when i talk to her instead of saying i built a "trap" to "capture" some poor innocent bees i always say i simply built a warm safe habitat for some homeless bees just like building a birdhouse. They chose to move in and they are free to leave any time they choose. So far the bees keep choosing to stay. Hahaha.

[@homesteadonomics]

+darkangelsoaps Yep, that sounds about right...lol! I probably need to change the title to say " inviting bees to stay at my honey producing bed and breakfast" .....lol! Thanks for watching DAS! joe

[@darkangelsoaps8258]

homesteadonomics Hahaha you are simply running a bee rescue mission! Take care

[@rockyea8562]

Craig a lot of these super liberals as I call them hearts are in the right place.

[@chrispesklo5115]

Rocky - I'm a gun owning, multi-business owner, professional, beekeeper - and *liberal*. Your politics are off...

[@ellenl.5581]

A few exceptions do not change a rule.

[@Gohngsneh]

I have caught one bee, how do I turn it into a hive, ha ha. gonna let it go after the rain, but I am excited to get something for real

[@shortchanged.]

Follow it to its hive.

[@TheKombuchaCompany]

homesteadonomics Awesome! I am going to try this!

[@homesteadonomics]

Trenton Kaminski So far so good... I'm actually going to take them down tonight and start the moving process. Hopefully the swarms will stay in the boxes during the relocation. Gonna try two techniques and see if one or both work... that should be in part three!

[@426superbee4]

Make a swarm trap out of plywood 1/8 thick OK / Cause your setting them in trees. You want them a light as possible OK Best Set em next to a tree trunk on a big forked branch, You can screw stripes of wood to help make a better base. I never had wind or any thing knocked them down! i set em head high BEES DON'T CARE can set it on the ground or 80 foot up in a tree JUST MAKE IT EASY ON YOU!

[@TRUFIVE50]

Do you worry about Africanized Bees being in Arizona? How do you monitor your hives for such? In another video, you said you'd been stung a couple of times by your Warrrior Hive. When do you decide that a hive is too aggressive?

[@homesteadonomics]

+B Trujillo Hi BT... from my understanding, most all AZ feral bees are somewhat Africanized. So I'm guessing all of these are, at least to a degree. I don't worry too much about them as ultimately they are just bees like any other bee. They just might be a little more defensive that other bees:) So far so good, but if they became really aggressive, I do have a couple of resources I can call to help me out with them. Anyways, thanks for watching:) Joe

[@honeybguys6346]

You may want to open the entrances you plugged where the bees were going into your home. They may have a hive in there already and plugging it off is not a good idea.

[@homesteadonomics]

HONEY B GUYS I've crawled in there a couple times and haven't seen anything... so hopefully they won't have a reason to come back. But I guess only time will tell. But thanks so much for the advice so far!Joe

[@honeybguys6346]

Any time Joe. Take care. Great vids BTW.

[@twat584]

Where is the queen separater

[@christopherwhite1648]

The top bars look too wide. 1 5/16" is sufficient.

[@357lockdown]

You seem like a guy that is just looking for an excuse to build something...lol. I'm the same way.

[@Bluehealer100]

If you want to really learn a lot go to the fat bee man on you tube he is my go to guy and I have been raising bees for 20 years!

[@cheaphomesteading]

Bluehealer100 agree

[@426superbee4]

That old fart had forgot more than what most people know about bees. Way to talk to DON is MONEY

[@JFabric500]

Did you ever get any bees? lol

[@pinemeadowshobbyfarmafruga8319]

I just made some bait hives yesterday and put them out on my friends ranch in hopes of catching a swarm myself. Good Luck. I also attending the beekeepers meeting last night at the extension office. Came away with great info. Here is my video of the bait hives I set out. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hpfXnYmFgbKfe68 Great video

[@homesteadonomics]

Pine Meadows Hobby Farm Just watched the video! I'm excited for you... this year seems to be a good year to catch swarms. Look forward to an update with a full box of bees:)