This is a sample guest message. Register a free account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members through your own private inbox!
Well what do we have here.... Swarm trap with what appears to be a really nice colony living in it! Headed back to get it at dusk and bring it home. My first time catching one in a swarm trap.
The swarm trap is just two 5 frame Nuc boxes screwed together to make a single cavity that holds 10 frames. I put a frame of old empty brood comb as bait and rest of it is filled with empty frames. Also sprayed some swarm commander lure inside, and rubbed the outside around the entrance with some old melted down junk wax from my solar melter.
As far as location is concerned I just keep an eye out for spots where I see lots of honey bees foraging and try them. The trap hangs off a branch about 5ft off the ground.
I’ll post some more pictures when I move the frames into a regular hive.
Moved the swarm into it’s new hive over the weekend. I only put frames in the top 5 positions of the swarm trap so they built comb on the bottom of frames that was a mess, but lesson learned. The queen was really dark colored and wasn’t marked so it could have been a feral colony I marked her before placing her in new hive. Also made splits with new queens I ordered. Up to ten queen right colonies now so hopefully the flow continues and I can catch another swarm!
Yes, the kids sometimes help but usually it’s just my wife and I. We have a hand extruder that hold 2 frames at a time spinning as fast as you crank it. The wife uncaps the honey and I do the spinning.