25 Jan To Catch A Swarm 4 – Trap Installation

Why Trap Swarms?

Local beekeepers, or people who are interested in beekeeping, have two options when deciding how to acquire honey bees for themselves. 

Note: I am not against purchasing bees.  In fact, I purchased my first hive and I’ve purchase queens to start new hives.  However, I do not intend to discuss the pros and cons of purchasing bees at this time.  Instead, I would like to focus on swarms and their capture.  

Option 1) Purchase bees from a honey bee breeder. 

• There is no standard price for purchasing bees.  Prices for bee hives can range from $150 -$500 depending on size of hive and beekeeper’s reputation.

Option 2) Capture a local swarm. 

• Swarms are free bees!  As you will find in beekeeping, everything costs money.  So, if you’re on a budget capturing a swarm is just one less expense.

Advantages of capturing local swarms

1) When capturing a local swarm, the beekeeper has reasonable confidence that they are capturing honey bees that have local genetics.  Local genetics are important for colony health and disease resistance. 

2) Capturing swarms is free.  You only need a swarm trap. 

3) Clean Bees – The swarming process is like a cleansing process for the bees.  They leave an old home and make a new one.  With this process the bees can leave a lot of pests and disease behind.

Disadvantages of capturing local swarms

1)  The swarm’s queen is likely an older one with 1 or more years of age.  This is not  always the case though!

2) Your swarm will likely have some Varroa mites.  Although, I assume all bees have Varroa.  I will talk more about Varroa mites in the Pests & Diseases section of this blog page.  I think it is important to say, that since swarms are primarily comprised of a large number of older worker bees, the mite load is usually low.

3) It takes more time for the bees to build up strength for winter survival.  For a beekeeper, this may mean more feeding.

4) If your swarm is captured in the fall or winter months, you can assume that it is an absconded hive, and it may contain high pest and disease loads.

abscond | əbˈskänd | verb [no object] leave hurriedly and secretly, typically to avoid detection of or arrest for an unlawful action such as theft: she absconded with the remaining thousand dollars. • (of a person on bail) fail to surrender oneself for custody at the appointed time. • (of a person kept in detention or under supervision) escape: 176 detainees absconded. • (of a colony of honey bees, especially Africanized ones) entirely abandon a hive or nest.  (Apple Dictionary)

Now is a good time to mention an old beekeepers’ saying that is certainly a good rule to consider when collecting swarms.

“A swarm in May is worth a load of hay; a swarm in June
 is worth a silver spoon; but a swarm in July is not worth a fly”. 

Proverbial bee-keepers’ saying, mid 17th century; meaning that the later in the year it is, the less time there will be for bees to collect pollen from flowers in blossom. (The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable)

Hay and silver spoons clearly have value to humans.  But a fly?  No, not much value there for human use.  Yes, a fly has ecological value, but to apply a monetary value would be ludicrous.  That’s the point behind this saying.  In the northern hemisphere, swarms after July have a very slim chance of winter survival.  July swarms can overcome these odds with the help of a beekeeper, but a beekeeper needs to understand the extra efforts that will be required.

How To Install Your Swarm Trap

The first thing to keep in mind when installing your swarm trap is SAFETY.  Never put yourself at risk of injury over some bees.  I know we all get excited to get some free bees from nature, but you need to always think about your safety first.

As we’ve discussed in the previous posts, bees have a criteria of at least six factors for nest site selection.  When you hang your swarm trap you will scratch off two of these criterion.  One being entrance direction (South), and the other being distance from ground (10-15 feet).  

Trap Site Selection

Choosing the best site is paramount to success.  If you put your trap in the wrong location you risk not catching bees.  Additionally, if you put your trap in an awkward location you may have difficulty removing the trap when it is occupied and much heaver.  This is precisely why I only put five frames in these boxes, as they can be very heavy when occupied.

Tall trees seem to be the best locations for swarm traps.  Bees have been found to nest in many different kinds of trees.  The tree species should not matter to the bees because the cavity is more important to them.  Thus, if a tree has a cavity that fits their nest site criteria, then the bees are likely to move in.

I like to secure my swarm traps to the trunk of a tall Loblolly pine (Pinus taedatree).  I choose this tree because they usually have very tall trunks with few lower branches.  A similar tree species is Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa).  Any tree of sufficient size will work.

Key Features For Trees

1) Trunk must have a south face that receives sunlight.

2) Must be able to set ladder against tree.

Helpful Tips

1)  Set ladder at an angle.  Do not have base of ladder too close to the tree.  You may fall off if your ladder doesn’t have an angle.  Many types of ladders have feet that can pivot.  If you pivot the ladder’s feet to dig into the ground, your ladder will not be able to slide out from under you as you work (see photo below).

2)  Before climbing the ladder with your swarm trap, pre-screw your deck screws, and secure your drill to the box.  This way you only have to manipulate the box on your way up the ladder.  Once you have reached the top of your ladder, you can quickly unfasten your drill and quickly secure the box to the tree using decking screws (see photo below).

3)  When climbing the ladder, place the swarm trap on the steps at head level as you slowly climb upward.  Keep your hands on the box and move the box with each step you take.  I have found that I don’t need to hold the ladder if I climb with the box in this manner (see photo series below).

What Next?

After installation you should check your box once a week, if possible. That way you will know soon after bees have moved in, and you will be able to remove the box before it gets too heavy. You may want to refresh the scent lure from time-to-time (once a month at most). This method meets all of the known criteria that bees seek for the most desirable home. Once installed, monitor weekly and maintain the scent lure for optimal success.

We will not post on this topic again until our swarm trap captures a swarm