……Load a Swarm Trap

Supplies:
7 – foundationless frames (or frames with foundation if that’s what you prefer)
1 – frame of old brood comb (if you don’t have any see Loading Swarm Traps)
1- snack size zip-lock bag
Lemongrass oil (LGO) (preferably in a bottle with a dropper)
A paper towel  (ripped approximately in half)
A tube of 100% silicone

  1. Gather your LGO, dropper, paper towel, and zip-lock bag.  Fold your half – paper towel  so that it will fit inside the zip-lock.  Take the dropper and put 5-10 drops of LGO onto the paper towel.  I usually do 6 drops in half my traps and 8 drops in the other half.  Place it inside the zip-lock and seal it leaving about 1” of one side unsealed.
  2. Place 1 frame of old brood comb roughly in the center and the foundationless or undrawn frames around it until they are all in there.  3 on one side and 4 on the other.   I have seen on forums that others do this by placing the brood comb on one side or the other with all the empty frames in the center.  That may work.  I began doing it this way and it has worked well enough for me to not change anything.

    The old comb is placed roughly in the center of the trap with empty frames filling  the remainder.

  3. Place the bag with the paper towel in it on top of the frames

    Baggie containing the LGO treated paper towel on top of the frames.

  4. Align and place your lid on the trap.

    Lid on.

  5. After securing the lid I like to put a little dab of 100% silicone on the screw heads to keep water from penetrating the plywood top.  In this picture you see WHITE silicone.  I have since changed to USING CLEAR 100% SILICONE.  It makes it much easier to remove the screws when you can see the screw heads!

    100% silicone used to cover screw heads on the lid.

  6. You are ready to go hang that thing on a tree!!!  Next Step – How to Hang a Swarm Trap

4 Responses to ……Load a Swarm Trap

  1. Carol says:

    Thanks Jason information looks great. I am unsure why there is a space at the end and end frames left out. Thanks

    • Jason says:

      In catch boxes I fill them with frames.

      With my hanging traps there are 2 x 2s in each corner to keep the trap from failing due to the weight of the swarm. As a result I lose the ability to put 2 frames in there. Makes it important to get them down and hived more quickly before they build comb on the lid.

      Trap boxes or traps FULL of frames buys a little more time before you need to retrieve em.

  2. William D McNett says:

    I don’t even think the baggy needs to be any unsealed. I made up some Wintergreen greasy patties and put them in zip-loc freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Everything in my freezer smells of Wintergreen

    • Jason says:

      You are probabaly right. I have been experimenting with closing the bags entirely the last 2 years in my traps and have found no difference in occupancy rates. Just another one of those things that need updating.

      There are specific lines of bees here that actually chew on the plastic bags for some reason. Closing the bags is irrelivant at that point as I reuse everything. Interestingly enough I am seeing a positive correlation between wood and plastic chewing and survivability here in eastern Indiana. Just something to note as you open your traps.

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