Swarm Trapping

[TheHoneyPump]

Lots of discussion on swarms.   Question to the regular swarm chasers swarm catchers.
How would you describe the best location to place a swarm trap with respect to hives that you think may swarm?  What is the optimum distance and height and environment to put the swarm box?

[paus]

There are as many opinions on swarm trapping as there are Chili recipes  in Texas, every chili cook has several recipes.  Seriously there an abundance of reading material out there that is very good. I will condense  some of my thoughts. Place trap where you are not in danger of falling, where you can handle the trap with a swarm of bees, as they can get heavy in a short time. Place trap generally facing South or East, by a ROW either road, highline or pipeline, or the edge of an open space. Preferably with afternoon shade. I can go on and on an they all work.

[van from Arkansas]

According to Nock, you need a fire hydrant whereas Ace will tell ya to just stack left over boxes and frames.  Go figure.  Some have all the luck,

[CapnChkn]

The general rules have been the same for the last 10 years, as far as I know.

• Bait trap has to be between 15 and 50 liters (3 1/2 to 11 gallons or 1/2 to 1.8 cubic feet) in volume.  The most attractive to the honeybees is 30 to 40 liters (8 to 10 1/2 gallons or 1 to 1 1/2 cubic feet).
• Entrance facing in a Southerly direction.  According to Dr. Tom Seeley in his book "Honeybee Democracy," this is meant to get sun, so if you're in the Southern Hemisphere, it would be best to face it Northerly.  The idea is to melt winter ice and snow, allowing the little bees in and out of the entrance, and their tiny bodies, being mostly black, to absorb IR from the sun and let them take cleansing flights without getting too frozen.
• Between 8 and 15 feet (2 1/2 to 4 1/2 meters) up.  Obviously the bees will feel safer when they're above where predators and enemies can get to them.  I've had most of my luck when the traps are this high.  I take a rope, make a harness and pull the trap into a tree, along a straightish trunk, after tying a rock to the end, tossing it over a branch, and pulling it up. The trap can be kept still by wrapping the line around one side, and tying it around the trunk.
• With navigable landmarks.  Along a fence line, a tree line, creekbed, in a single tree in a field, or top of a mound, for example.  Since bees eyes are compound, and don't see the same as ours, I like to think big; obvious.
• Within easy distance to permanent water.  I put my traps along a local creek, and the river here.  I try to get it within 100 feet (30 meters), but they will go further.
• Entrance of 2 1/3 square inches (15 square cm).  I've had a number of traps that I just make a reducer with a 2 x 5/16 inch (50 x 8 mm) hole in it. I haven't seen any great difference between the size of the entrance, but I haven't used a huge entrance hole either.
• It needs to smell good.  Of course our tastes aren't the same as a bee, so that means it should smell like home.  A nice brood comb in the hive, used equipment, and a couple of drops of lure.  This signals the bees there was a successful hive in this location before, and they can also be successful.  Lemon grass oil, rich in Geraniol and Citral, attracts the bees by smell, being components of the pheromone found in the Nasanov's gland.  It doesn't bring the bees to it, just tells them there is something "here."  So having scouts looking over the hive will not get "more" attention, and doesn't need further baiting.
• Brood comb is a plus to them, because it means they don't have to build a comb before the queen can start laying, and get a step up on getting the hive up and running.

Bait hives are like putting a sign up, "for rent," and letting them look over the area.  Food, school, safe neighborhood, not a lot of commotion, etc.

[Ben Framed]

Good textbook information Capitan. I have had the good fortune of Ace. I caught one without trying in stored boxes the last day of February this season.  I would not have thought they would swarm that early in my area.   

[FatherMichael]

Dr. Seely says that there are two critical considerations in trapping a swarm: volume of the cavity and height above ground -- in my shorthand 10 x 10.

I went full bore on the first criteria with 5 well-baited deep-bodied hives in 3 known prospective locations.

But they were all at a lower, human-level elevation.

My operation is looking at a 3-5 year build-up.  Was thinking that catching swarms might be a strategy but not sure now.  Buying nucs might be better than breaking my neck trying to hang a swarm trap 10 feet off the ground.  ;-)

[Ben Framed]

I hope you catch all you may wish to catch! Just for information the one I caught was inside a storage building. I have a pull down garage door. There is a 6x6 inch opening in the back for ventilation purposes.  I suppose they made their way in through that. Even so they had to find the stored boxes which were stored at least 30 feet from that! So I guess we can never tell for sure what they want or what they prefer in all cases. Paus once again explained it pretty well as he always comes through with good practical insight.

[FloridaGardener]

Tip:
1. Call your local pest control company and give them your phone number. 
2. When a swarm shows up at the home of one of the company's terrified customers, they call and beg you to pick it up asap.
3. Drop everything, grab a hive, and go.
 

[TheHoneyPump]

Thank you CaptN, That's the kind of info the group is needing.

 

[Nock]

I like being around buildings. It draws there attention I believe. Something that sticks out.

[CapnChkn]

Thank you TheHoneyPump!  Guess where I learned how to do this?

[BeeMaster2]

THP,
I used to catch the largest swarms in a stack of supers right next to my workshop door that is right around the corner of my apiary.  The swarms were from another apiary some distance away. I always had traps in the yard and my neighbors yard. A lot of my swarms would move right in to them. The best place to put the trap is in a location that the bees have swarmed to before.  We often put a traps in a location where a customer called because of a swarm that already left before we arrived. Quite often we catch a swarm within a week or two.
Jim Altmiller

[Michael Bush]

>How would you describe the best location to place a swarm trap with respect to hives that you think may swarm?

1/4 mile away.  (400 meters for those of you who are "English measurement challenged")

[van from Arkansas]

HP, look around your area, are there but a few natural spots, trees with hollow that could support a hive.  Aspen are beautiful trees but the ones I have seen are not big enough to support a hive.  Now,  I know nothing about your area, so I am asking about suitable natural spots for a swarm?  Are they plentiful or rare?  That might tilt things to your advantage.

In North Arkansas there are many trees in a single acre that could support swarms, coon hollows, owl nest.  Trees with hollows are everywhere, like 10-15 trees per acre with thousands of acres available in the Ozark hills.  A swarm would have many natural choices where I live, like a thousand or more in a two mile radius.  I do not try to trap swarms and have no experience, Capt has offered details for you, HP.  Good luck.

Van

[TheHoneyPump]

Thanks.  Nope, no such trees around here.  All the trees do is hold the swarm for a few hours until the bees find a granary, barn, abandoned homestead.

I posed the question and the thread for the benefit of the collective group.  I really like CapNs answer and guidelines.  :)

For the record. I personally do not ever trap swarms, chase or catch swarms. I keep the bees in the boxes. If she doesn't like my management style and is gone next time I come around she is way better off gone because I would probably kill her outright for misbehaving or looking at me sideways. 

[CoolBees]

... If she doesn't like my management style and is gone next time I come around she is way better off gone because I would probably kill her outright for misbehaving or looking at me sideways.

Too funny 

[van from Arkansas]

... If she doesn't like my management style and is gone next time I come around she is way better off gone because I would probably kill her outright for misbehaving or looking at me sideways.

Too funny 

Agreed Cool, funny.  But I would wager that HP keeps his bees inline for real.

[Ben Framed]

I would think strict management would be imperative and if we listen closely, there is much to be learned from folks who make a living with bees.  We are very fortunate to have commercial folks here contributing information, helping us as they do. HEAVY HITTERS. I can think of three who have posted here in the past day. One from Australia. Thanks to you commercial people for your input and teaching.