swarm catchers

[yolanda huang]

I watched the video with Phil Stob on Swarm Traps/Bait Boxes.

Question - If I use a deep 10 frame box, how many actual frames are needed for a Swarm Trap?  Should it be partially empty or does it need to have 10 frames?

Thanks,

Yolanda

[Gerald Przybylski]

This is the way I set up my trap.

Ten slots deep box:
Slot 1, an old dark brood comb.  The arriving swarm queen probably won't
want to lay in this one.
Slot 2, a yellow brood comb bees may have raised some bees in.  The
queen will probably lay egg in this one.
Slot 3 -to- Slot 10 Foundationless frames.  i.e. frames with neither a
plastic sheet nor a wired wax foundation.
These frames don't all have to be deep. They can be a mixture of medium
and deep.
2 finger entrance.   No screen bottom board.  Pretty tight fitting box,
and cover, and bottom.  Maybe use a ratchet strap.
Covered or shaded enough so the mid-day and afternoon sun doesn't beat
down on it.

Under the frames in the box, a plastic ramekin like from fast food with
the end of a lemongrass oil-dipped q-tip in it.  Cover mounted to seal it.
The lure smell diffuses through the plastic.   No need to refresh it all
season.
If you can smell the lemongrass oil there's too much for the bees.  Same
for commercial lure formulations.

The smell is an invitation.
The bees evaluate available space by flying around and walking around in
it. Maybe they listen to the distinctive sound.
I wouldn't be surprised if they also assess the climate control demands.
6 to 10 feet up, so the aromas better waft out of the yard.
Don't discount your empty dead-out hives on their stands.  Often bees
blow off the trap in favor of the messy dead-out on the hive stand.

that's my 2¢

[Mimi]

My bait hives in last decade yielded 0 move in. But my enclosed 10 frame winter storage hive box has given many bee move in, it is usually 2-3 box of drawn out frames and maybe a handful undrawn frames or several empty spaces.  Kept in same location.  That particular location and box has more success than any other.  And if I move out bees into another box elsewhere it can lure in 1-2 more beehives before season ends.  

Bees swarm to same location year after year. My hive box storage right next to it has had a few move-in.  The bigger my boxes the larger the swarms seems to be.   I really do think it’s mostly via chance and luck.   Your chances increases in locations near other swarms and with the right bait.  It’s also a numbers game.

Good luck.

Mimi 

Sent from my iPhone

On Mar 9, 2026, at 12:14 AM, yolanda huang <yogre...@gmail.com> wrote:



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