Somebody around you is loosing some bees
Somebody around you is loosing some bees
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
-Samuel Adams
This is my first season swarm trapping.
I’ve been using 2 swarm trap boxes that I got from a friend. I also build my own modeled after his but haven’t had to put them out yet.
The first box had 2 frames with used comb and 4 empty frames. The other had 5 empty frames and 1 with wax foundation on it. Both boxes had caught/held bees before so had propolis built up all inside of it.
I put some swarm commander around the entry hole after hanging them and checked them daily.
Both of the setups above caught bees. I guess right place at right time because I have no experience with it.
I do know that the setup location of the box seems to be crucial to your success.
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I read entry facing south/southeast, on tree line at least 6-8 feet high but 10-15 better, near a body of water. Is that consistent with you location selection? If not, anything different? Anything additional?
“If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
-Samuel Adams
I might be wrong but I don't think entry direction matters as much on swarm traps as it does on hive locations. I had success in all different directions. Mine were all set 6-8 feet up on a hardwood tree. From what I was told, has to be a hardwood tree. You are simulating a hole and hollow nesting cavity in the hardwood tree. Make sure to set it up on field edges with long "runways" parallel to it. Timber edges on power line or gas line right of ways are good also. The closest water source has been about 1/4 mile from the traps i had success with. I tried to set them up with morning sun and afternoon shade. Hope this helps.
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