Swarm Trap Challenge
Lloyd St. Bees
All,
Are you tired of paying for replacement bees? Did your favorite bee supplier already run out of bees? Were you going to expand your apiary but had to spend your last stimulus check on new breaks instead of the new bees you wanted? Are you looking to do a service to the community by protecting them from costly cutouts due to swarms in their soffits? If you answered yes to any of these, then I have the answer for you: SWARM TRAPPING! Swarm trapping is an easy, cheap and fun way join beekeeping, educate non-beekeepers and earn “free” bees. All it takes to get started is a deep box, some old comb and you have yourself a trap! Attached is a document by Tom Seeley “Bait hives for honey bees”. Reading this is a good way to get an understanding of what a bait/trap consists of and how it operates.
This season I would like to offer up a Swarm Trap Challenge. I will be putting together a virtual leaderboard for those that want to participate. The winner at the end of the season will receive the coveted “gold” hive tool trophy along with bragging rights. I encourage everyone to showcase their best trap designs and help out those that are just getting started. I have included a few photos of the ones I use.
The rules:
1. Swarms must be trapped. Not collected off a branch, side of a house, cutouts, trapouts, etc.. (We appreciate you collecting these though for the community)
2. A photo showcasing your catch must be provided for each catch.
3. The challenge starts April 1st and closes October 31st
4. Post the location you caught them (if you feel comfortable) so that we can see if certain areas are hotspots. Hopefully this will lead to “Who’s casting all these swarms and how can we help reduce this from occurring”.
5. Have fun and bee safe!
How to register:
Respond to this thread with your name, city/town you are located and number of traps. After that, look for your name on the leaderboard when I post it.
Common questions:
Can I still join the leaderboard after April 1st?
- Yes! You can join at any time. Any swarm you trap after you sign up will be counted.
What if I don’t want to participate in trapping but would like to help others and learn more?
- Offering participants a place to put their trap on your land is a great way to get involved from the sidelines.
Is swarm trapping bees like stealing other beekeepers bees?
- No! These bees are already free and roaming the area by the time they scout your trap. Traps do not induce swarming of managed colonies.
How much does it cost to build a swarm trap?
This is a breakdown for my cost
o Old broken deep box - $0 (ask a commercial beekeeper for boxes they were going to cull. Torch the inside of the box to sanitize it, patch up any holes and screw together any loose corners. It doesn’t need to be pretty.)
o Old drawn comb frames - $0 (You should be rotating out old comb on a regular basis each season. So, you probably already have some. It is best to have two old drawn combs per box.)
o Freshly re-waxed old foundation frames - $0 (Save your wax and rejuvenate old foundation)
o Feed bag inner cover - $0 (bird seed, chicken feed, dog food bags all work. Your local mill probably has some they are willing to give you for free otherwise)
o ¼” Plywood top and bottom - $0 (found in a dumpster)
o 16” piece of 1x4 - $.57
o 4” long 1/4” lag screw - $.33
o 10’ ratchet strap - $2.50
o Circular entrance reducer - $.30
o Total - $3.70
Good luck,
Trevor Bawden
Lloyd St. Bees
Carrie Williams
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<Award.jpg><Bait Hives for Honey Bees.pdf>
Matthew Walter
BETSY TRUE
BETSY TRUE
Randy Deering
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trex raptor
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Randy Deering
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Scott Gear
Bret Conley
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Paul Zelenski
On Apr 5, 2021, at 9:26 PM, Bret Conley <bcon...@gmail.com> wrote:
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trex raptor
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Paul Zelenski
Sure, I’m pretty lazy and will be busy with family stuff a lot this summer. I bet I’ll have multiple ‘traps’ out at a dozen locations or so.
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Robert Koch
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Dan Curran
BETSY TRUE
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Dan Curran
trex raptor
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Dan Curran
larry lindokken
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Robert E. Jackson II.
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