Swarm trap question

[Bush_84]

So I?m still a big swarm noob. I?ve caught my second swarm. One last year and one this year. Both in the same exact spot. It seems that once I catch a swarm and move it to my stand (same yard), I can?t hang it up again for a few weeks. If I hang something up I get bees returning. A few weeks may as well be the rest of the swarm season. Can I hang more than one box on this tree?  It?s a huge tree. The kind you can?t get your arms around. I could probably fit four on there and. To come close to touching. Will this work or even be useful?

[Sputnik]

I'm going to try it next spring. I  have a magnolia tree that swarms love. It had 2 swarms in it at the same time this year. I caught a total of 4 in it this year 2 last year. I put a 3 box nuc in the tree.

[iddee]

Hey, sputnik, did you know swarms move into boxes they fit.
3 frame swarms fit in 3 frame boxes.
10 frame swarms fit in 10 frame boxes.
Why do you only want the small swarms?

[moebees]

So I?m still a big swarm noob. I?ve caught my second swarm. One last year and one this year. Both in the same exact spot. It seems that once I catch a swarm and move it to my stand (same yard), I can?t hang it up again for a few weeks. If I hang something up I get bees returning. A few weeks may as well be the rest of the swarm season. Can I hang more than one box on this tree?  It?s a huge tree. The kind you can?t get your arms around. I could probably fit four on there and. To come close to touching. Will this work or even be useful?

If I understand your question, and what you are doing, it sounds like your swarm trap is close to where you are placing the hive?  So you are seeing foragers return to the swarm trap location after you remove the swarm?  That is going to happen unless you move the swarm a few miles away from the trap location.  If you cannot do that the only thing you can do is move them after dark.  Then place branches and leaves in front of the entrance so that when the foragers emerge in the morning they will reorient.  Otherwise they will keep returning to the trap location because that is where they know home is.

[Bush_84]

It?s not right next to my hives. It?s probably a couple hundred yards away or less. When I moved my swarm trap last year I did so when it was dark. I also went to the trouble of locking them in for a few days and put a branch in front of the entrance. I still had a small handful of foragers go back to the swarm trap. I?m just looking for a way to keep a swarm trap up after I catch a swarm.

[moebees]

It?s not right next to my hives. It?s probably a couple hundred yards away or less. When I moved my swarm trap last year I did so when it was dark. I also went to the trouble of locking them in for a few days and put a branch in front of the entrance. I still had a small handful of foragers go back to the swarm trap. I?m just looking for a way to keep a swarm trap up after I catch a swarm.

a couple hundred yards is not far enough.

[Bush_84]

It?s not right next to my hives. It?s probably a couple hundred yards away or less. When I moved my swarm trap last year I did so when it was dark. I also went to the trouble of locking them in for a few days and put a branch in front of the entrance. I still had a small handful of foragers go back to the swarm trap. I?m just looking for a way to keep a swarm trap up after I catch a swarm.

a couple hundred yards is not far enough.

I understand that. I don?t have an out yard to bring them three miles away. I did when I lived further north but I found keeping bees in more than one location to be a huge pain.

[BeeMaster2]

Bush,
If it is only a few, I would not worry about them. I usually wait about a week or so before I put a swarm trap back in the same location after catching one. It may bee that you are seeing scouts especially if you are putting it up 3 weeks later.
Jim

[cao]

So I?m still a big swarm noob. I?ve caught my second swarm. One last year and one this year. Both in the same exact spot. It seems that once I catch a swarm and move it to my stand (same yard), I can?t hang it up again for a few weeks. If I hang something up I get bees returning. A few weeks may as well be the rest of the swarm season. Can I hang more than one box on this tree?  It?s a huge tree. The kind you can?t get your arms around. I could probably fit four on there and. To come close to touching. Will this work or even be useful?

Most of my swarms have been caught the "old fashioned" way but, I don't see any reason why you couldn't hang more than one trap nearby.  Trapping swarms is like fishing.  The more poles in the water, the more chances to catch the big one.

[Sputnik]

Hey, sputnik, did you know swarms move into boxes they fit.
3 frame swarms fit in 3 frame boxes.
10 frame swarms fit in 10 frame boxes.
Why do you only want the small swarms?

It is a 5 frame nuc 1 deep and 2 shallow. I'm not picky about swarm size. Larger is better, I will offer a hive to any homeless bee I can find.

[paus]

When I catch a swarm I leave them in there for a week or three.  I have a friend that gets them out as soon as possible, he caught three swarms in one swarm box the same day.  All three swarms were removed that day.  He caught 46 swarms last year.  I am thinking I'll set a small and a large in the same area and see how that works.

[BeeMaster2]

Quote from Paus,
 I have a friend that gets them out as soon as possible, he caught three swarms in one swarm box the same day.
I would love to bee able to douse that spot. I bet there are 2 or three underground rivers below it.
Jim

[moebees]

When I catch a swarm I leave them in there for a week or three.  I have a friend that gets them out as soon as possible, he caught three swarms in one swarm box the same day.  All three swarms were removed that day.  He caught 46 swarms last year.  I am thinking I'll set a small and a large in the same area and see how that works.

Way too much effort I would said.  Makes me tired just reading this.

[Bush_84]

At this stage in my beekeeping venture I?m just trying to get to the point of being self sustainable. If I can move that along by catching swarms I?d like to catch as many as possible. We don?t have many here in the north. There?s a commercial guy a bit nw of me and he must have a yard near me somewhere.

[Dustymunky]

Not sure how your yard is set up. If you have the equipment, stick a trap where you would actually like the hive to be.  You might get lucky and its super easy.  Ive caught 3 swarms this year with empty equipment, 3 feet off the ground. They prefer shady or afternoon shade spots. Traps in full sun all day long get scout activity but no takers for me.

[paus]

Jim just read your response, how about drilling for black gold.

[Bush_84]

I?m up to three swarms in the past two weeks. I figure next year I?ll hang two traps at the locations I caught swarms this year. If I catch three swarms every summer I?ll be in real good shape. If I catch more than that I?ll be selling bees.

[cao]

I had a swarm move into a swarm trap just sitting in front of my garage a couple days ago.  It is where I store some of my extra equipment.  Sometimes you just get lucky.

[BeeMaster2]

Jim just read your response, how about drilling for black gold.

Paus,
I think that is what Troutdog did that professionally.
Jim

[Bush_84]

Picked up my third swarm this morning. It was a bit of a drive but worth it. I was at her house before 7 and they were bearding. It was under 70 f out. When I got home I put them on the stand and opened their entrance. They immediately did this. The box is SO full of bees. It was only 73 f at the time I took this pic.

[BeeMaster2]

Bush,
That is a good size swarm. Nice.
Jim

[Bush_84]

My saving grace is that these swarms weren?t noticed for approximately a week. The two I had at other people?s houses were nearly built out with com and had capped brood. I am practically out of comb. I had all this excess comb this spring. All I have left is what I deemed to be crap comb and it?s about eight combs. These last two swarms I caught I installed in just a single 8 frame deep and then supers above an excluder. Not sure if I?ll leave it in this arrangement or install another deep at some point. I know some winter in a single deep but I use 8 frame.

[Ben Framed]

So I?m still a big swarm noob. I?ve caught my second swarm. One last year and one this year. Both in the same exact spot. It seems that once I catch a swarm and move it to my stand (same yard), I can?t hang it up again for a few weeks. If I hang something up I get bees returning. A few weeks may as well be the rest of the swarm season. Can I hang more than one box on this tree?  It?s a huge tree. The kind you can?t get your arms around. I could probably fit four on there and. To come close to touching. Will this work or even be useful?

If I understand your question, and what you are doing, it sounds like your swarm trap is close to where you are placing the hive?  So you are seeing foragers return to the swarm trap location after you remove the swarm?  That is going to happen unless you move the swarm a few miles away from the trap location.  If you cannot do that the only thing you can do is move them after dark.  Then place branches and leaves in front of the entrance so that when the foragers emerge in the morning they will reorient.  Otherwise they will keep returning to the trap location because that is where they know home is.

Moe hit the nail right on the head!! Good advice Moe. especially the part, "If you cannot do that the only thing you can do is move them after dark.  Then place branches and leaves in front of the entrance so that when the foragers emerge in the morning they will reorient.  Otherwise they will keep returning to the trap location because that is where they know home is." Also, It would be wise to catch and cage the queen for a couple days before releasing her. There is a fellow from Louisana that has found a honey hole for bee swarms. He places at least 4 catch boxes around a home and has caught as many as 4 boxes, swarms, within a short period of time! Once he had all four boxes full at the same time when he went back checking on them.  So sure, go for more boxes in the tree, good common sense on your part.  Thanks Phillip Hall "Ben Framed"

[Bush_84]

So I?m up to six swarms. I got a call tonight from the person who had already caught one. I was going to retrieve the trap tomorrow morning. He told me that it looks like there?s a swarm hanging in a tree not even ten feet away from the trap. Sure enough. I decided to put this one in my big mini mating nuc boxes. It holds eight half medium frames. I managed to squeeze them into two of these boxes, although they didn?t want to leave the third box that I used as a funnel. I didn?t have any frames to fill that box. When I bring them home I?ll add that third box.

On the way to his house I called a lady that lives close to him. About 15 minutes. She had a swarm trap at her house and I hadn?t heard from her. Sure enough she also had a swarm. I tried to get them all in with smoke but they had a pretty big beard. They had also started a small comb on the bottom of the box, I assume from overcrowding and constant bearding.

So I?ll head back at sunrise and pick them up. Beards are much more tame in the morning. I?m pumped!  I?ve doubled my hive count for free!  I?m going to have to get creative with stand space now and brood combs.

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

[Ben Framed]

So I?m up to six swarms. I got a call tonight from the person who had already caught one. I was going to retrieve the trap tomorrow morning. He told me that it looks like there?s a swarm hanging in a tree not even ten feet away from the trap. Sure enough. I decided to put this one in my big mini mating nuc boxes. It holds eight half medium frames. I managed to squeeze them into two of these boxes, although they didn?t want to leave the third box that I used as a funnel. I didn?t have any frames to fill that box. When I bring them home I?ll add that third box.

On the way to his house I called a lady that lives close to him. About 15 minutes. She had a swarm trap at her house and I hadn?t heard from her. Sure enough she also had a swarm. I tried to get them all in with smoke but they had a pretty big beard. They had also started a small comb on the bottom of the box, I assume from overcrowding and constant bearding.

So I?ll head back at sunrise and pick them up. Beards are much more tame in the morning. I?m pumped!  I?ve doubled my hive count for free!  I?m going to have to get creative with stand space now and brood combs.

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

Congratulations on the catch and the extra bees!!

[cao]

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

I've found that swarms love to draw comb.  I have been cutting 1 inch strips from the plastic foundation and using it as starter strips after dipping them in a coat of wax.  I've found that the swarms I've caught take to it very well. 

You gotta love the free bees. 

[Bush_84]

So thinking ahead. I?ve had minimal cross comb, but was thinking that if I used foundation I wouldn?t have any. In the past I?ve used the plastiann lake foundation and have liked it well enough. If I rolled it with wax the bees wouldn?t think twice about it in a swarm trap correct?

I've found that swarms love to draw comb.  I have been cutting 1 inch strips from the plastic foundation and using it as starter strips after dipping them in a coat of wax.  I've found that the swarms I've caught take to it very well. 

You gotta love the free bees. 

My main concern about that is that my swarm traps will never be level. Trees aren?t level. So they can start right where you want them to, which so far they all have,  but at some point they start to lose track. With foundation they just build that out and no worries. I generally am foundtionless. I find that bees draw comb out quicker but tend to draw more drone comb than I want. I?m to the point where I am feeling less stingy and don?t want to bother with anymore drone comb.