Trapping Quick Reference Guide

Want help getting started trapping?

Here’s a quick reference from past posts to get you up and running.  Some posts are listed in multiple areas because some cover multiple subject.  Enjoy.

Belyaev with some of his foxes.

Belyaev with some of his foxes.

Why I do all this – 

Where do bees come from?  2012-03-02

Genetic Gambling 2012-02-09
Are Bees Wild or Domestic 2012-10-26
The Farm-Fox Experiment and Bees 2012-11-02
Bees can overcome OR Bee happy with what you are given
2012-09-14
Where your bees come from matters 2013-06-26
Chump Crickets 2014-10-03
Chump Crickets part 2 2014-10-10

Feral Bees are OUT THERE – Some will say that all the feral colonies are gone, but that does not make it so.

Yet Another Bee Tree 2011-09-01
Bee Tree 2011-09-01

2012-02-28 Bee - Swarm Trap Construction 01Trap Plans – Evolution in Swarm Trap Logic 2014-04-20

5 Frame Plywood – SouthEastern – (2 per 4 x 8 sheet) – (Big thanks Jeff!)

4 x 8 Sheet of Plywood
Parts List
Assembly

10 Frame Lang Deeps 2012-04-19

Spots –

Looking for Spots 2012-02-22
Addition to Spots Post 2012-02-26
Where Bees are……. 2013-09-30

2015-04-04 16.32.56 Trap13Loading of Swarm Traps –

Loading Swarm Traps 2012-04-23
How to Load a Swarm Trap 2012-04-23

The power of LGO! 2012-05-08

2014-05-01 18.49.50 trap12Hanging of Swarm Traps – 

New Method of Hanging Traps 2012/04/18
Hanging of Swarm Traps
 2012/05/07
How to Hang a Swarm Trap 2012

When?

Here in my part of Indiana I try to have them UP by 4/15 every year.  Depending on where you live you may want to do this slightly earlier or later.  If you are wondering about how to time this, I follow the BeeSource thread Please Post your Swarm Dates.  Make sure you go to the LAST page.  Subscribe to the thread and you will get e-mail updates each time a report is added.  Check the settings on your BeeSource account.  You may have to login after each e-mail notification to get future alerts.  Determine how far North or South reports are from you.  There are reports from ALL over the country so look for zipcodes near you.  Contribute your swarming activity.  It will help others.

Swarming behavior –

New Observations in Swarming Behavior 2012-05-17
Another observation on swarming behavior 2012-05-23

2014-05-27 11.00.00 Trap04HITS and Catches – 

First Hit of the Year 2012-05-04
The difference between a HIT and a catch 2012-05-09
What to do when your trap gets a HIT (a potential catch)? 2012-05-14

2012-07-17 Bee Swarm Pickup 01 trap01Moving Occupied Swarm Traps – 

Full traps are moved at night.  It is normally hot and humid so take a spray bottle with water in it.  Under these conditions bees will normally be hanging out on the FRONT of the trap.  Applying a MIST to the front of the trap near the entrance will send bees inside so none of your workforce is lost.

What to do when your trap gets a HIT (a potential catch)? 2012-05-14
After hours beekeeping
2015-09-18

20150724_171842 Trap01 Trap24 Trap27Hiving Swarm Traps – I have experimented with this a lot in the last several years.  Since these posts in 2012 I have began installing newly caught swarms IN THE TOP DEEP of a stack of either 2 or 3 deeps.  Three Deeps were used for LARGE swarms caught in April and May.  Two Deeps were used for smaller swarms and those caught in June and July.  Moving forward I will  hive newly caught swarms in 2016 in the TOP deep of TWO deeps unless the swarm is unusually large.  After colonies overwinter the first year they will have A THIRD DEEP nadired UNDER the previous TWO deeps.  If you have questions leave comments.

20150724_182629 1512 1513 1514Hiving a Trapped Swarm 2012-05-16
After work work 2012-06-05
Trap #25 becomes 1211 2012-06-25 After further review this is actually 1210… 
YouTube Videos
Hiving Trap 11 Part 1 & Hiving Trap 11 Part 2 2011-08-18

When  to take down traps – at my latitude in the NORTHERN HEMISPHERE I begin taking them down on 8/1/15.  Contrary to popular belief the “swarm season” lasts longer than 3 weeks in May.  I have had many colonies caught in July overwinter well and produce good honey crops the subsequent year.

Leave those traps out there….. 2013-07-01

2013-09-29 Joel Jason BEE Traps 12Maintenance & Storage of Traps – 

Note on Storing Traps 2013-10-08
Fall Trap Maintenance 2015-10-02

Tips / Things I’ve learned along the way

Records in beekeeping 2012-06-04

Post your Swarm Dates – Link to BeeSource

I may be updating this page from time to time so check back.  If you have questions……  ASK!  Don’t be a CHUMP CRICKET!


 

 

4 Responses to Trapping Quick Reference Guide

  1. Kendra says:

    Great info from a bee whisperer evidently!

  2. Rachel Yorgason says:

    Thanks so much for the swarm trap plans! I am going to try to catch my first bees and see if I can save money by not buying the nucs I had planned to get. I have all the parts cut and ready to put together, but I can’t figure out where the end caps go, as they don’t seem to be on the assembly page. I’m a complete beginner so maybe I’m missing something that’s obvious to an experienced beekeeper.

    • Jason says:

      It wouldn’t be obvious to a more experienced beekeeper. More experienced beekeepers don’t generally build swarm traps.
      5-Frame nuc
      This is a 5-frame nuc built using the same style lid. You can see how it goes together. Screw on each side on the ends with another screw in the top.

      If you look closely on the assembly page you can see these screws are accounted for. They are not labeled, but they are pictured. Thanks for making me aware. Good luck trapping, and thanks for the comment.

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