I found a feral hive last summer...

[ktbearpaws]

.....and I plan on catching a swarm this spring.
My question is, what will I need to catch the swarm besides and old styrofoam cooler, and lemongrass oil?
I plan on bulding a Nuc and making a TBH.

[Michael Bush]

>My question is, what will I need to catch the swarm besides and old styrofoam cooler, and lemongrass oil?

A lot of luck.  Catching swarms in bait hives is like fishing.  You get a good spot and good lure and you'll probably catch one.  But you never know.  I'd put the bait hive a quarter to a half a mile from the feral hive.  Put it as high in a tree as you can easily get.  Eight feet will help.  Twelve would be better.

[Robo]

If you can get some old comb, that might help.  Also setting up more than one trap will improve your chances.  I know of a bee tree as well, and have similar plans this Spring.

[ktbearpaws]

Anybody know where I can get some old comb?
I was told I needed to place the hive trap as close to the original hive as possible, not far from it?

[Apis629]

I believe you are confusing "swarm fishing" and reducing colony numbers by trapping. 

Swarm fishing is just that; placing out boxes, maybe with some aromatic lemon grass oil or old comb, in hopes  that some bees will smell it, stumble upon it and move in. 

One common meathod to reduce the numbers of a colony before performing a cut out consists of making a cone or simmilar enclosure with an opening on the end just large enough for one or two bees to pass at a time.  At the end of this cone, there is a queenright small nuc, and, the bees, unable to get back into their hive, will drift into it; weakening the population of the hive to be removed, and strengthening that of the nuc. 

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesferal.htm

[ktbearpaws]

Maybe I am wording what I want to do "wrong"
I ran a beeline last summer and found this hive. I can't cut the tree because it is on private property and the hive is to high in the tree. Here are some pictures that you can see what I mean.




If I put a swarm trap in  a nearby tree, what are my chances of catching a swarm?

[Jerrymac]

The thinking is that a swarm leaving this tree will want to put some distance between it and the mother hive. They wouldn't want the competition in their forage range. SO.... If you place a swarm trap right next to this tree the issuing swarm will probably fly right by it and might not come back to this area looking for a home. It is possible that a swarm from some other hive would find the swarm trap and move in. And if you place the trap some distance from the tree you might still get a swarm from some other colony.  As mentioned, it is a fishing expedition. Just use some good bait.

[Michael Bush]

>If I put a swarm trap in  a nearby tree, what are my chances of catching a swarm?

Not nearly as good as if you put the bait hive a quarter mile or more away.