is it too soon to put out swarm traps? have placed 1 swarm trap and one baited topbar hive . here in north east ks. spring seems to be happening early.this the 3rd year iv tried to capture a swarm . have seen some bees out on warm days. yesterday when it was 70deg.
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This will be my first year trying to trap. I'm very excited! Everything that I've read and have been told is to have the traps out a month before swarm season. Who knows when that's gonna be nowadays, am I right? lol :wink: I don't think it can hurt to have them out too soon...Good luck!
In the cold north there is not much point putting them out before May. In the deep south you should have put them out a month ago...
I still have not reset any of my traps. I have a few hanging but I have not added LG oil or Q pheromones. I should have but for some reason we are not getting swarms yet. Hopefully I will get them set this week.
I put my Traps out last week and don't expect any action until the Drones hatch out.I looked in my hives yesterday and the drones were still in the larvae stage,they were fat but not turn as yet so guess it will be the end of March before swarms!
I put 5 traps out this evening. I still have not seen a single drone on any of my hives and I was watching them at noon today. That is their main flying time.
Jim
I have already caught 4 swarms in traps in Southern California. A little bit of rain has really helped the health of the bees.
Jim I've caught two in the Keys down in South Florida and there's plenty of drones so hopefully the "drone line" is moving north towards you.
Haven't seen any swarms around here yet... I have an empty deep baited with queen scent and got a swarm trap to put up after this rain is gone. Usually start seeing them around the first week or two of march here... Yesterday as I was walking away from the veggie garden, looked down and a drone had landed on my leg, I put my finger down and he crawled on and around my fingers for a bit, then flew away.