Here are my ingredients for a swarm traps from my swarm trapping talk.
Swarm trap
Swarm trap
- Factors
- like fishing
- Each factor adds desirability as a bee home
- Start with 0% and increase from there
- Read Honeybee Democracy
- Box volume
- between 35 and 60 liters (9 to 15 gallons or 1.5–2 cubic feet).
- 8-frame deep, 1.25 cf, 9.4 gal, 35 liters
- 10-frame deeps are 43 liters
- 5-frame nuc: 23 liters, double 46 liters.
- 8-frame medium, 24 liters, double 48 liters (Bush Special)
- A ten-frame medium, 29 liters, double 58 liters
- Logs harder
- Used box
- Can simulate by rubbing propolis
- Fresh wood offgases
- Used comb
- Darker comb better
- Small piece okay
- Repeat location
- Heathland videos
- Don’t cut the branch, more swarms may land there later
- Entrance size
- Two square inches
- 1.58” inch diameter round hole
- Appropriate sized slot
- Lure
- LGO, citrol, Nasanov pheromone,
- lure in bag
- Box height
- 8-15 ft
- Empty space in box
- Good place for foundation, foundationless, do not like plastic
- Light
- No light from above (no translucent materials)
- Excessive heat will cause abandonment
- Afternoon shade
- Free of wasps and hornets
- Weather proof
- For your convenience:
- Lightweight
- Easy to attach to tree
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