What is a swarm trap?

Swarm traps work by luring swarming bees into the trap. To lure them, beekeepers place bait inside. For bait, old brood frames and comb are placed in the trap so it smells like a used beehive. Lemongrass oil is also commonly used in a swarm trap because the smell mimics that of a queen inside.

How long can bees stay in a swarm trap?

The bees can be left in the swarm trap for a few weeks. This will give them time to make some comb and brood, which will keep them from leaving. However, if you leave them longer than that, the trap will become too heavy to move and transport.

Do bee swarm traps work?

Do swarm traps work? Yes, they do, but sometimes it takes a beekeeper several seasons to find their local sweet spot. Some sites are just better than others from a swarm scout's point of view.

How do you use a swarm trap for bees?

How do you know if bees are in a swarm trap?

Weigh the box — if it's much heavier than the empty box, the swarm is inside. Just visit the trap one week after you first saw the bees in and around it. If you still see lots of bees after a week, busying in and out, the swarm is in.

Swarm Trapping 101: Swarm Trap Design and Placement

Will bee swarm go away on its own?

Swarms rarely stay in one place for more than a day or so, says Seeley, so chances are the bees will take off on their own if left alone. “A lot of people think that cluster of bees is a bunch of bees building a nest, and it's not,” he says.

What happens to bees left behind after a swarm?

Since the scout bees usually return to their swarm by evening, many beekeepers will leave the swarm collecting boxes there until dark so they don't leave these bees behind. The ones that are left will die or return to their old colony.

How long do you leave swarm traps out?

Leave Them Alone For a Week

As tempting as it may be, you don't want to disturb a newly caught swarm. If you try to inspect them too soon, move their location or make changes to their new home in any way, you may prompt them to leave. They should be left completely alone for 1 week.

Where is the best place to put a swarm trap?

Therefore, large landmark trees and trees along the edge of woods and roads are a good choice to place swarm traps. Water is important to a bee colony, so it's best to place swarm traps near a water source. An area with a creek or pond nearby is more likely to attract bees.

Can you outrun a bee swarm?

The more you flail your arms, the madder they will get. Just run indoors as fast as possible. A bee can obtain speeds of from 12 to 15 miles per hour, but most healthy humans can outrun them.

What time of day do bees swarm?

Changing weather conditions from cool/rainy to warm/sunny seem to stimulate the natural urge of bees to swarm. Most swarms leave the colony in good weather between 10AM and 2PM, fly to a nearby tree or bush and land on a limb.

How far away should a swarm trap be?

Bees like to space themselves out in the environment so traps placed close to the existing colony will not be as attractive to scout bees as one further away. A good trap location would be anywhere from a couple hundred feet to 1 mile away from an existing hive.

Will bees come back after swarming?

These are usually scout bees that leave the swarm temporarily looking for a good nesting spot. When a beekeeper comes and removes the swarm, the scout bees that are out and about, return to the swarm spot and find the swarm has left. They will often disappear within a few days and return to their original beehive.

When should you remove bees from a swarm trap?

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.

Can bees swarm then return to hive?

It may or may not be relevant in your case, but sometimes a colony appears to be swarming over and over when, in fact, the same swarm is returning to the hive and then trying again on another day. This occurs when the queen does not come along, or she gets lost or is eaten by a bird.

What is the success rate of a swarm trap?

A good swarm trap is really all you need to get started in beekeeping. The first season I put ten swarm traps out, five swarms moved in! That is a 50% success rate, and others report up to 80% success with the swarm traps described in Fedor Lazutin's Keeping Bees With a Smile.

What time of year is best to catch a swarm?

Late spring is swarm season — the time of year when bees reproduce and find new places to build hives. Swarms of bees leave the nest and zoom through the air, hovering on trees, fences and houses, searching for a new home.

What months do bees swarm?

Swarm season is usually expected during late Spring, this is between April and May. This is the time of the year when bees reproduce and discover new places to build their hives. You will notice it a swarm when you see thousands of bees hovering on trees and houses looking for a new place to start fresh.

Should you feed a caught swarm?

Making the hive attractive: Swarms are very useful for drawing out new comb but they are also more likely to stay if you provide them with drawn out foundation. Experienced beekeepers often use a blend of new foundation and drawn out comb. Feeding: Definitely feed them.

Should I put a frame of honey in a swarm trap?

Frames are not a must, but they make it much easier to move a swarm into their permanent hive later. Swarms are geared to make wax and tend to draw comb quickly. Without frames, they can quickly attach combs to the lid of the swarm trap. When using frames in a swarm trap, do not use foundation.

How long after a swarm should I see eggs?

Most often you must allow two weeks to pass before checking. But don't wait beyond that time to look for the eggs (finding eggs signifies the presence of a queen). After the swarm, it took 6 to 8 days for the queen cell to open and a new queen to emerge.

What to do if a bee swarm chases you?

Try to get to an enclosed shelter (such as a car) or run until the bees stop following you. It may be necessary to get a quarter mile or more away from where the attack began. Cover your face with whatever is handy, if you can do so without impairing your vision. Never jump into a body of water to escape bees.

What do bees do right before they swarm?

Worker bees are able to detect when it's time to swarm due to overcrowding of the hive or the lack of pheromone production from the queen. In preparation for the swarm, the workers will deprive the queen of food in order to slim her down so she can fly.

Do bees sting in a swarm?

Honey bee swarms are not highly dangerous under most circumstances. Swarming honey bees feed prior to swarming, reducing their ability to sting. Further, bees away from the vicinity of their nest (offspring and food stores) are less defensive and are unlikely to sting unless provoked.