Top 10 Tips for Catching Honeybees Swarms #swarmtrap

Spring is just around the corner and it's almost honeybee swarm season. If you are interested in catching swarms of honey bees, or are just interested in how we do it - this video will give you some insight on swarm trapping, bait hives, and some great advice on how to catch those swarms. We share some of the tips and tricks that have allowed us to catch many, many honeybee swarms over the past few years.

We'll talk about swarm traps and what size swarm trap you should use. We'll also discuss how to bait a swarm trap, and what attractants and baits work best. How high up should you put your swarm traps and what direction should you point the entrance to your bait hive? We'll go over all these tips and more.

If interested, you can see a few photos on our new YouTube community tab. Please check it out and comment if you would like.

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Products Mentioned in video
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or you can make one DIY (we have other videos on our channel like this one):

Here are the Highlights (check out the video for more details)
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Top 10 Swarm Trap Tips
00:00 Introduction

0:10 10. Use the right size swarm trap and is weather-tight
1:04 9. Entrance to trap is 1 ½” to 2” square (as in space not shape)
1:42 8. Bait with Lemongrass Oil (or commercial attractant)
2:22 7. Put in a sturdy tree, post, or stand – 8 to 15 feet in height
3:20 6. Be sure the trap is securely attached, yet easy to take down
4:00 5. Face entrance South or Southeast
4:45 4. Used equipment greatly enhances chances (old bee boxes and comb)
5:40 3. Ensure trap is visible to bees, less so for people (don’t hide the trap in deep cover). Bees use landmarks!
5:58 2. Watch for bee resources like water, pollen, gardens, nectar plants, meadows, fields, and apiaries.
7:57 1. Success means future success. Catching a swarm in a location will likely mean future swarms in same place

Be Safe – Have Fun!

#twodovesbees #northtexasbeekeeping #northtexasgardening #texasbees #texasbeekeeper

[Cassius]

Last year I lost two hives over winter. In May I caught a swarm and one month later I attracted a swarm to an empty hive with lemongrass. I was quite impressed!

[larryjennings]

Over my 50 plus years of beekeeping I've caught numerous swarms both in traps and off trees, shrubs, etc. At 91 I'm still catching and still learning new techniques! Thanks!

[ericl]

Started beekeeping with 2 nuc’s and then caught a huge swarm. All 3 hives survived the winter. Looking forward to catching (hopefully) 2 more swarms. Appreciated your top 10 tips. Thanks.

[petergregory]

We have a 80' maple tree just starting to bloom, and it's full of bees. We're going to put up a swarm trap tomorrow.

[bryancosten]

Hey John, Bry the Bee Guy here, in central PA(20 miles west of State College, PA) I am just now getting ready to catch some swarms, its May 6th. I caught my first swarm last year. The week after Mothers Day(it snowed on mothers day 2021) Caught another in my yard on the 4th of July. I use Layen's style hives and swarm traps (horizontal hives). The bees love it that I don't bother them too much when I check on them and not having to lift a 40-50lb supers is a major bonus! Your tips seem to be spot on. I love the success on success tip! Made me rethink where I am going to put my traps. Last year I strapped the trap on a 6 inch thick tree at shoulder level and had a swarm within 10 days! BTW, I HIGHLY recommend putting a trap out with frames that have starter strips! That hive cross combed 4 out of the 6 frames that were in it. I still haven't gotten those frames apart. It's their brood frames. I ended up getting nearly 20lbs of honey from that hive! Thanks for the good tips and nice job with the video editing! Thanks buddy

[jmath]

Great video and great tips! The absolute best lure I have found is melted old comb. I save any comb I scrape off during my hive inspections as well as propolis. This all goes into a bucket with a lid. When I am ready to put out swarm traps, I put the old comb into an old crock pot add a little water and melt it down. I then scoop out the melted wax and pour it on some frames and along the insides of my swarm box. I have tried the commercial swarm lures with little or no success but once I started using this method I catch 20 or so swarms a year. Another tip is to get your boxes up early. I know it depends on your location but I try to have my boxes out by the end of February. Thanks

[davidsnodgrass]

I have not tried to trap bees yet, but I'm getting very interested. Thanks for the tips.

[joeyperez]

I'm new at it, very excited to get started

[cornerstonehoneybees]

I have that same t-shirt. LOL

I totally agree that you do not have to put the swarm traps way up high. I use a 6' step ladder - and set the trap so that the entrance is at eye level.

Tip for baiting - if you render down your own bees wax (cappings from honey processing), if you squirt some Swarm Commander onto the wax while it's still liquid, you can use that wax to coat the foundation on your frames. This will last a LONG time.

[robertjaxon]

We lost our starter hives two years in a row, they swarmed away from the hive. So we know bees will seek a new home. Great tips on the video!

[richardallen]

Thanks for the tips and love your hat!

[kaf]

Thanks John, I will be trying my hand at Trapping bees soon.
I kept bees 30 years ago and found 1 swarm on a branch, came back with a empty hive body, cut the branch, placed it in the box returned home and set up with frames and that hive gave me 180 lbs of honey that yr.
Best to you, K

[earlmanley]

You are the first that I've seen to use a French cleat. That is the technique I have been planning on using when I build my trap for this spring.

[karlfowler]

This will be my first season to try to trap a swarm. Thanks for the information. I have several made now at the beginning of Feb in zone 7a. Now all I have to do is pick a spot.

[fieldtrippin]

Very cool! Wanted to give you a heads up, I work for a family owned nursery in California, Green Acres Nursery & Supply. Its a wonderful nursery and they are opening their first location in Texas soon. I host the Green Acres Garden Podcast and I am delighted that soon we will be making content that explores gardening and growing in Texas. So much to learn, happy gardening.

[OldPecanHomestead]

Thank you for the tips! I better hurry and build a trap!

[lisawhiteley]

Thanks for the tips. I’m in South Irving. Last night my husband and I made a swarm trap. Today I am going to set it up by a fallen tree in someone’s yard. This will be my 1st “removal”. Your tips will be very helpful and I hope to get the bees from the fallen tree somewhat easily. Thanks also to all the comments and additional tips.

[robertshorthill]

I'm planning on getting 3 swarn traps out this Sat or Sunday (April 10, 2022). That way scouts can find them if they need them. Still a ways away from flowers and pollen, but I hope to be ahead of the bees. Bob in SW MT.

[lindadeboard]

Awesome video very helpful. I appreciate you being on point.

[saeedsa]

At first I would like to thank you for your valuable advice. My English is weak and I hope that I can communicate the idea because I use Google translator, I would like to add advice, which is to choose the appropriate time of the year, which is to set traps at the beginning of the spring directly, and if you delay a month, you may not get many swarms.