Attracting Swarms

Beeboy01 · April 13, 2018, 02:13:15 PM

I'm trying something new this year for swarm attracting. Over the last few years most of the swarms around my yard seem to pick one spot each year to land on in a tree or out on a limb where they stay for three or so days till the scouts find them a new home. The first swarm builds a little bit of comb and it acts as an attractant for the other swarms for the duration of the year. Working on the theory that the comb is the attractant I have tied a few wonky old used frames in the trees at about eye level around my yard. It's not a swam trap but a swarm resting point from where I can box them if I can get to them in time. Think it will work?

BeeMaster2 · April 13, 2018, 02:20:04 PM

Quote from: Beeboy01 on April 13, 2018, 02:13:15 PM
I'm trying something new this year for swarm attracting. Over the last few years most of the swarms around my yard seem to pick one spot each year to land on in a tree or out on a limb where they stay for three or so days till the scouts find them a new home. The first swarm builds a little bit of comb and it acts as an attractant for the other swarms for the duration of the year. Working on the theory that the comb is the attractant I have tied a few wonky old used frames in the trees at about eye level around my yard. It's not a swam trap but a swarm resting point from where I can box them if I can get to them in time. Think it will work?

Yes if it is below one of the locations the bees have been using.
Jim

Acebird · April 13, 2018, 05:49:17 PM

Won't the unprotected comb get trashed by critters and birds?

BeeMaster2 · April 13, 2018, 09:48:15 PM

I only give them one frame and the bees will just clean up any damage.
Jim

tycrnp · April 14, 2018, 12:29:13 AM

We have been putting our swarm traps in the same locations for 2 years. We have gotten 2 swarms in one of the traps already this year. We got one swarm in the other trap and have been told that there are more bees in it now. We will be checking on it this weekend. So if something works, I say stick with it.

Acebird · April 14, 2018, 08:50:46 AM

How do you explain so many swarms in the same location. Is there a commercial operator near by?

tycrnp · April 16, 2018, 12:35:39 AM

Quote from: Acebird on April 14, 2018, 08:50:46 AM
How do you explain so many swarms in the same location. Is there a commercial operator near by?

I can't explain, but we got another HUGE swarm today. No commercial bees here. We are surrounded by water, have lots of stuff in bloom. We actually put a trap in a friend's yard last year, she is ~ 1/2 - 1 mile from an apiary...didn't catch a single swarm in that trap.