15 May To Catch A Swarm 5 – Trap Removal

Congratulations on successfully catching a swarm! Now, you will need to remove the trap from the tree. In this post, I will discuss how to safely remove your bees, how to relocate the bees, and how to install them into a Langstroth hive body.

Trap Removal

The best time to remove a swarm trap, or any beehive, is at night. Each day, when the sun goes down, all workers are inside the hive. Beekeepers can take this opportunity to move all of the bees. For this reason, your swarm trap removal will be done at night.

Step 1 – Position Ladder Under Trap

step 2 – Close The Entrance

Step 3 – Secure Lid

Step 4 – Position Yourself To Receive The Box

Step 5 – Prepare To Walk The Box Down The Ladder

Step 6 – Walk Down The Ladder

Now that you have the occupied trap at ground level, where are you going to put it? To answer this question, you will have to determine exact location of where you would prefer your new beehive to reside. Then, you will apply the Rule of 3 to your situation.

The Rule of 3

3 Feet, 3 Miles, or 3 Days

• If you wish to move the colony a short distance from where you captured the swarm, you can only move it 3 feet.

• If you wish to move the colony less than 3 miles from where you captured the swarm, you will have to keep the bees locked in the swarm trap for 3 days.

• If you wish to move the colony more than 3 miles from where you captured the swarm, you can open the entrance immediately and/or transfer bees into new Langstroth hive body.

Failure to follow the Rule of 3 will result in a substantial portion of the foraging bees to return to the exact location that the swarm trap was placed.

Step 8 – Transfer To New Hive