I'm 75 last Feb. I tell people I'm 65 and will be retiring soon, but with inflation and the way SS works, I'll most likely work til I take a dirt nap. It may not be necessary to scorch insides of hive boxes except to get rid of foulbrood spores, but combs have them too. Just use old, black nasty stinky combs. Bees will move in and feel at home. Take care and many cheers. Bob

What appeals to me about this is I can make swarm trappers out of scrap wood. And if everything works out it could multiply into a meaningful enterprise. I don’t like working with other people so this would be a perfect one-man operation.

Hey!! And I say this with a smile.....as a very active 71 year old grandmother I must say 70 is NOT elderly!! Good luck with the bees...looking forward to seeing the progress.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I'll definitely keep you guys updated!

@dawnscott3015

5 жыл бұрын

You.........are me. I'm loving my retirement years and have loads of energy and so much joy pursuing my interests.

@g.r.4853

4 жыл бұрын

as the song says, "I'm too young to be this damn old"

@shaney3116

4 жыл бұрын

Haha. You go ma'am!

I catch 20ish swarms a year. No need to put them up high. Chest high is good enough. Not sure about the burning. Make sure the swarm box is in shade in the hottest part of the day and afternoon.

Great video! One additional thing I know about flaming the wood is that the wood will help make the wood preserve itself against rotting!

1. Has to be sitting tightly on the tree not to fall from winds. 2. The lid must be fastened for the same and many other reasons too, before the transportation into a home-bee-box is performed.

Thats very kind of you sharing with us this nice work

An older used hive body (a 10 frame deep) is a good size to use. The fact it has been used helps assure the kinds of odor the bees are attracted to. As you showed, a couple frames of used dark brood comb helps too. A trap the size of a deep 5 frame nuc is minimum size as a large primary swarm may find it too small and pass it by for a larger cavity, or abscond after a few days for lack of space, however for an average size swarm the 5 frame deep nuc is a good size. I have caught swarms larger than a beach ball, although many swarms are little bigger than a volley ball or football. Hope this helps. If you see bees visiting flowers in an area there is a colony or more near by, and if you put swarm traps in those areas likely to be frequented by bees you should catch a few swarms. Trees or posts along a fence line or near a powerline right of way or near a road often seem to serve as navigation aids to bees in flight and are often good locations for a trap. Be sure to check them weekly or biweekly as someone else may be aware of your swarm traps and may harvest the work of your hands if they think they are not being watched. Rick in Pa.

@amathonn

4 жыл бұрын

I saw a large swarm slowly entering my little five frame nuc and I could not believe they all got in. It was like watching an old clown car movie wondering if the last ones would fit!

@SurvivorBees_DavidBlag100

4 жыл бұрын

also two deep five frame nucs stacked on each other work well.

@georgegodwin2752

7 ай бұрын

Just down the road from me is a bee tree , I checked with county sub. to see if I could put trap there said it was up to me , I put trap up 3 days later , two day later someone used it for target practice. Don't put them on or near road

When you mentioned fire I was all over it! :) I'm going to try that method with my Nuc trap. Not only a good idea but looks great too! Thank you.

best hanger electric cord # 12 coated with s hooks an one around the wood hanger to keep the trap from swinging . great video burning also helps prevent rot .

I would use some straps to help hold the traps so they don't swing around !

@natserog

4 жыл бұрын

i use a wood bracket in shape of L and screw into tree and box. at a 1/2 down tilt toward entrance

@sheilamclaughlin963

4 жыл бұрын

It would blow away if u hung it that way

@robertshorthill6836

2 жыл бұрын

jacki comber. I just scored some free ratchet straps that came off these steel crates that they ship expensive lawn mowers to hardware stores. I have about 16 straps with 3 foot black nylon mesh. They wind with a 18mm wrench and two or 3 wrapped around a bait hive and a tree make for a secure set up. These straps get tossed in the trash. Lucky for me, I work at this one of these hardware stores that stock these Ariens mowers. The steel crates are supposed to get sent back, but alas, they get loaded into a big dumpster. If a guy had a cutting torch, they could be cut up and recycled for cash $$$. So much waste of recyclable resources. No wonder so many things cost more bucks than is reasonable just to get by. We are living in unreasonable times, my fellow citizens. Bob

@jackicomber8534

2 жыл бұрын

@@robertshorthill6836 lucky lucky man! Well done!

I will do this same thing this spring but with one full frame of comb and the rest with starter strips for more room. Also I will strap mine to the tree to prevent swinging.

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

I ended up strapping mine as well, with ratchet straps. Helped keep things really stable.

You are very lucky to be in direct contact with nature

I have old beehives and after 4 years i notice lots of honey bees are flying around and checking them out so I sat 4 hives out and for the first time I got 2 swarms 2 days apart and I got more bee's checking out my empty hives so it could be a 3rd swarm if they take it.. and what makes it strange is that when apple blossoms and dandelions were out no honey bees were to be seen.. but right out of know where they just showed up...

If you drilled a second hole lower for mounting your traps you could get them a little higher when your don't use your ladder.

Good luck with the bees 🐝

scorching the wood is an an old japanese technique called *shou sugi ban* . bees must innately know its more resistant to pests, weather , rot ... making it a better hive home

From a want to be bee Keeper in Canada keep at it you will be awesome

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you Debra

We only have Killer Bees here in Arizona! They are meaner than hell! Killer Bee Guy here! Did you know that Killer Bee honey is the same as any other honey? It is the nectar source that matters.

Hope you discover new tenants very quickly!! Catherine from Canada 🇨🇦

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

First month rent is free - and if you refer another family to our complex, I'll give you second month free too!

@catherinewalker1804

5 жыл бұрын

I’ll tell every swarm I see 😉

Good luck👍👍👍

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Thank you, so far no takers

The ideal size for swarm boxes is 40l. So I think they are too small. 10 frame box or make the nuc box higher. The latter is easier to hang.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I'm already consider going larger. Many people have suggested this. Thank you for taking time to make thoughtful comment. I appreciate it

Sorry for your losses! Don't give up! catch some more! NOW IS PRIME TIME! Can use sugar water stations, as a lure to your swarm boxes

@kiaya007

5 жыл бұрын

can also set up small sugar water stations to indicate the presence of bee activity in the area. if all the water is gone then set up a trap there. too easy.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I may give it a shot but we've seen zero be activity. we have four acres of pasture in the back with about 7,000 dandy Lions on it today. And I didn't see a single be anywhere

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I shall not give up hope. I will expand my trap area if needed to my parents house and maybe even the neighbors if they give me permission

@426superbee4

5 жыл бұрын

This hot and cold was hard on the bees this winter. they went into shock They didn't know to hibernate or stay up

@426superbee4

5 жыл бұрын

cool, kept fighting There out there! Just got to reel em in.

The boxes need to be deeper, the opening needs to be bigger as well. I never burn mine inside. I only us 1 used frame. I have caught 10 swarms so far

We had 4 up last year at each corner of the horse pasture, did catch one swarm.. As harsh as winter was and as many hives had died in the area, I was surprised we even caught the one. That swarm is one of our two surviving this year. Plan to put up at least those four and possibly four more this year. Good luck, nothing beats free bees!

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Once you saw beeing "moved it" how long did wait before you transported? I see most people wait 2-3 weeks, or until they start to bring in pollen.

@SakimasRidgeHomestead

5 жыл бұрын

It was out in the far end of the pasture rather "out of sight, out of mind" so I wasn't sure how long they had been in there. We moved it within the week and opened it too soon there were hundreds of bees clustered where the box had been the next day, so we put it back. It was out there for a month (weather and time) and there were so many bees they would not all fit in the box. We ended up putting them in a 10 frame box and moving them into a shady spot locked up for a couple days. We had no further issues when we released them the second time. I think the sooner you move them the better. The less time they have to learn the swarm trap location as "home" the better. Especially if you are not moving them far. If you shake a swarm into a box, you move it that evening, I would think a trap should be treated similar.

And to the side, your killing any threats such as wax moths.

Thank you for sharing. Hopefully I will be brave enough to live up to my KZread channel name this season. Bees & Bikinis :)

Been thinking about building my own swarm traps and found your video. Just subbed! How did you do with your swarm traps? 🐝 🍯

I'm a beekeeper of 2 years and I just lost my bees. I'm going to try your tip.

@ThAt-ZeTeTiC

3 жыл бұрын

i had one of my 3 hives die over this winter and ive been hearing that a lot. Do you know what happened with yours?

@raymondmorton

3 жыл бұрын

@@ThAt-ZeTeTiC I think that it was the cold.

Hope they work for you! We're thinking of setting some traps too...

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I hope you have great success

@amathonn

4 жыл бұрын

I already caught one by accident in an un-baited nuc stacked near my bee yard.

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

Sweet!

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

I think I'm putting up traps today.

Oh I forgot to ask, did the traps work and if so, how well?

My 70 year old mentor said he smeared peach leaves inside the boxes prior to splitting... swarms less

would be a nice follow up to see a full trap - and know what works and what does not - always build 3 or more

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

We will do followup video for sure. I'm going to build more, hopefully this week. Larger volume, as others have suggested.

I was told that there are beekeepers and beehavers. I was once a beehaver.

I’d like to see a follow up video with your results on these swarm traps

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Will do!

@badassbees3680

4 жыл бұрын

Still waiting...I'd never burn my traps, don't believe everything you hear

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

Hope to have an update video out later this week.

Burning is a general hygienic measures

You did a really nice job on those boxes, interesting info about the burning inside. Jason at Coghill Farm got three swarms so far this year on one small lemon tree. I guess they like the smell. Some people use lemongrass also.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

It's only been in the 40's here last couple days. And really windy. Gunna have a warm up quite a bit before bees start to "move around" around here.

Best of luck getting a swarm. The tip about burning the inside is very interesting.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I tend to put a lot stock in the "old ways" of doing things. Hoping this one pays off.

good luck rebuilding from the losses. those traps look great but strapping them to the tree to stop them swinging around or getting blown off the nail will further guarantee success.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I did add straps, about a week into it, based on suggested comments on this video. Thanks!

Lol, using that drill to screw in that tiny screw

In France that was and still is a method use among most?

Those some nice catch boxes. I'm gonna sub and look to see if you have a box making vid. I have a swarm near by id like to catch

A 5 frame nuc box is just too small for catching swarms. Any swarms will probably be a secondary swarm that is much smaller. A full 10 frame box or, as I use, a 6 frame trap with 6 inches of depth under the frames works best.

@robertshorthill6836

2 жыл бұрын

Jeff Cole. A 6 frame Layens system 9" wide by 18" deep by 13.375" front to back measures about 36 liters. I miscalculated it be 70 liters but was wrong. Get a metric scale or convertion method. Multiply all three dimentions, divide by 1000 and you will have volume in liters. A 11" wide box to hold 7 frames would be closer to 43 liters. Just about right for a good sized swarm.

Bees usually like the size of a 10 frame used deep box. They may avoid a nuc box since it may look to small to them. I read a few court case s about a month ago . If you hang those swarm traps on your neighbors property , the bees that you trap will legally belong to your neighbor regardless if you are using your own swarm traps. If your bees swarm and they land on your neighbors tree they also belong to your neighbor.

@szcze

4 жыл бұрын

I personally think that it is good that some people sometimes go by morality instead of only laws. Imagine if there were no people but these that would go to court every time they need to resolve an issue with their neighbour. For example, if you catch a swarm and you know the beekeeper that these bees "belong" to then you usually give the swarm back.

@FloryJohann

4 жыл бұрын

@@szcze You got this right. When I was reading up on the court cases I was thinking ''' are you serious?"", going to court over this which will make it expensive and which would turn neighbors and friends into enemies forever. I guess , some of the problem comes in place when someone putting their hives onto someone else's property or just trespassing without asking for permission.

@thepitpatrol

Жыл бұрын

People go to court over bees?

Sorry to hear all your bees died over the winter. Did the swarm traps work have you caught anything? I am brand new to bees. A friend of mine that has bees caught a swarm the other day and is donating the bees and a small box to me. I'll definitely be going through your videos on bees to learn as much as I can.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Have not caught a swarm yet. Just now getting to he prime time! I'll keep trying for sure.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

And will keep up posting with video updates.

Beez in the trap

Just wondering how you did on the traps?

Just my opinion, bees don't like burnt wood. They do like the smell of places where bees once were. I only had one hive that I burnt the inside and maybe burned too much. Bees would not stay in it until I sanded the inside to rid of the chard insides. Maybe yours will work. Hope so and good luck. Keep posting on this.

Hallo sir. Just go on,setbacks occure. Please tell me how many frames did you put in the catchbox,ie frame spaces left open? Godspeed Cobus🐳

I like to only use one drawn frame, and 5 frames total, in a double deep 5 frame, for that space reason. Went 6 swarms for 8 traps last year.

OK, first I am trying to learn everything I can about bees. Have not yet started with a honey bee hive. So if my question reveals my utter ignorance then please excuse me for asking the following question and raising the following observations. I would think cleanliness would be very important when keeping bees. What rules are important to keep the bees happy and healthy and safe? Also I worry when I hear so often that a hive has died. One hears about this horrible trend where lots of bee hives collapse and the bees all die. Some of the things mentioned as possible things killing bees seem to be: Varroa mites, Acarapis mites, some unknown pathogens, maybe unknown reasons for declining health of bees, maybe some pesticides or chemical sprays people inflict on their plants. Thus my question: Why would you use 4 frame of comb taken from hives where the previous bees died? Would you you not be concerned that the comb from that former hive could hold something that caused the previous bees? Virus? disease? Spores that could cause an infection? I think another thing that might be killing industrially transported and used as pollinators by honey bees trucked across the land, left there for 3 weeks, then trucked again to a new site. and so on, may be harmful to bees. A balanced diet might be better. A diet of just acres and acres of pollen from a mono-crop I do not think is healthy for bees. People need a range of different foods to eat healthy. I think bees are the same. So leaving bees to only be able to access one type of plant for a set period - where acres and acres of land only holds one plant might be leading to an imbalance in the nutrients for bees. for the same reason I think relying on a sugar solution for bees instead of real pollen and real flowers is not something I would want to rely on. Would the smell of burnt wood interfere with or overpower the scent of a Queen bee? By the way I use no pesticides ever in my garden. And no chemical manufactured fertilizers. I do always have lots of flowers and I make good use of pulverized animal manure, pea straw, and home made compost I make from a very varied mix of spent flowers, garden waste, coffee grounds, shells from nuts, various fruit skins and fruit left over bits, vegetable peelings and leaves and cardboard and shredded paper..

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Our bees died from starving, not a disease. As for scent of burnt wood, it's scout bees that will search out a new home, and lay a scent marker for the rest to follow.

I hope it doesn’t get windy. That first box will blow and rattle like a flag if it is left without some form of secure fixing. Needs to be strapped down.

Burning helps with wax moth control.

That beard is awesome!

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Bru!

what was the thing called you put over the entrance hole i need some of them.

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

Here you go: amzn.to/2Pshd5H

How did these swarm traps work out? Just curious...

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

No a single be in sight!

@badassbees3680

4 жыл бұрын

@@1870s forget what internet says basically..get some PROPOLIS and rub all over inside your trap, forget direction it's facing and Concentrate on MOSTLY Shade or Definitely Not full Sun(this maybe most important) I like foundationless in my traps so bees can measure side to side ,throw Lemongrass over hill and buy Swarm Commander ,2 sprays on inside of the lid,2 in front entrance.Lastly, really good use for moth damage comb is in your traps.But DO NOT put frames with pollen or honey in your trap, you WILL attract wax moths almost certainly,or SHB ..or bees will come Rob it out and move on...not sure bout burning,but I'd prefer PROPOLIS and Swarm Commander (which is worth every Expensive Penny) this is best advice I can give you from experience,oh at least high enough to need a ladder works better for bigger swarms it seems , a dbl nuc is about size trap I use,shoulder height set not a deal breaker but I only catch smaller if any it seems,8-9 ft what I do..best of luck

Instead of applying lemongrass oil can I just toss a stock or 2 of lemongrass in the hive instead?

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

Maybe if you crush it a little to release the scent more. I'm doubtful tho.

@ualuuanie

4 жыл бұрын

@@1870s Thanks will try it the next time I visit my friend's bee hives.

I wonder if by using old comb you are giving the swarm whatever killed your old hives...

It’s been 2 weeks. Any luck on them traps???

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

None yet, but it literally feels like we've only had about 3-4 days where it didn't rain. Temps have been 50-60's as well, so not a lot happening right now.

@Strictlyfishin76

5 жыл бұрын

That 1870's Homestead yep, those temps and weather will definitely keep em from swarming. Especially if y’all aren’t in a nectar flow. Never heard of burning the boxes. Definitely gonna try that for sure.

When is prime swarm sessions

@FloryJohann

4 жыл бұрын

It started about 1 month ago here in N.C. and the main swarm season is about to stop in about 2 more weeks. I had one hive swarm and about 1 week later I caught one swarm.

That 1870's Homestead? no horse and buggy?

@1870s

2 жыл бұрын

Not these days. I'm sure there was one on our homestead at some point though

Where did you run across the info to burn the inside of the hive? I only seen one KZreadr besides yours that mention this and the fella was from Australia. Personally I do not see any benefits yet burning the inside of the hive box. You may kill some bacteria that lingers on the surface, but spores take 240*F for at least 90 minutes before they are killed. Scraping wax or tree glue of burned sides may seem to be difficult if needed. at a later time. If you burn used bee boxes it may take the smell away that actually attracts bees.Use old combs, the bees like it better. I use a few old combs/frames for splits and when boxing up swarms etc to help the bees to stay. Let me know how it goes please.

@crabtrap

4 жыл бұрын

i would suspect (not a bee keeper) that the bees may prefer dried burnt woods lack of sap/moister (i'm an old arborist).

@badassbees3680

4 жыл бұрын

@@crabtrap I would suspect this mimics burnt lightning strike tree, but I'd never do this, I think bees smell waaayyy too good and would hate this, just my thoughts

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

His point behind the tip, was exactly that. To mimic burned out tree trunks. The mentor doesn't just burn his swarm traps, he burns all his hive bodies as well. Stacks them high before use. Tosses in a bunch of crumpled newspaper, and lights it up.

@badassbees3680

4 жыл бұрын

@@1870s yes I understand the tip,but I definitely don't agree with it, I catch swarms in traps every single year, I have located several bee trees also and None of em are burnt.two summers ago a huge tree got hit by lightning close to my apiary.Ive checked it out, it would be good place but never move in,but yet I've caught 3 swarms this year from all around it.i understand the tip, I just COMPLETELY disagree with it, sorry..

Every effort brings you closer to success. Every compromise closer to failure, You made an effort to prevent the top of the swarm box from being blown off, yet hung the swarm box on a nail so that the whole thing is susceptible to being blown down off the nail. Nail in a tree, not a good idea. Placement of a swarm box is important, so putting a swarm box on the edge of a field about to be planted, likely with coated seeds (pesticides) using a mechanical planter (pesticide dust) is a bad idea. Name & telephone # carved into the box, very good idea. You should get permission to place a swarm box on someone else's property. Swarm boxes & hives are generally not allowed in public parks and Conservation Lands. Made 2 swarm boxes? Make 2 more, again & again. Size is important & yours may be a bit small. Placing empty frames in a swarm box also works. Seek out other beekeepers in the area. Maybe you can sell a few. Older beekeepers in my area are moving to horizontal hives as they offer improved access and reduced lifting. Cold climate? Thicker wood in the building of hives provides a better level of insulation & bee survivability.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

All great advice. Thank you. I did add straps to both traps to keep them secure and stable, as you and others have suggested.

Lemon grass oil; you mean lemon pledge?

@1870s

2 жыл бұрын

Haha it does kind of smell like that doesn't it?

@walterkersting6238

2 жыл бұрын

@@1870s every time I do anything outside with lemon pledge, bees...

ideal hight 12-15 feet...

are you worried at all about birds nesting in your swarm boxes?

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

No not really. If it starts to become a problem I can just reduce the size of the entrance hole using the little door

@jimweaver7592

5 жыл бұрын

I use 1/2 hardware cloth across the opening.

@terry2346

4 жыл бұрын

@@jimweaver7592 Or drive a nail across the opening to restrict the hole size to where the bees get through but not the birds!

Make sure there are bees in your area before putting swarm traps up. If you don't have bees in the area, then natural parks or wetlands are great choice.

Where they successful?

You should have asked the old beekeeper how to keep your bees alive overwinter then you would not need to know how to successfully trap a swarm

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

I made mistakes, admitted, and learned.

@1870s

5 жыл бұрын

Hopefully by doing so, others can learn as well.

Wouldn’t the owner of the property be entitled to the bee rights, just as she would the hunting rights? In my neck of the woods we ask permission first and don’t damage trees by putting an insect entrance w a nail...

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

It's on our property

@thechariotcard

4 жыл бұрын

You explicitly stated that you commonly go to other properties to collect bees. You explicitly stated and showed a nail being driven into a tree to hold your trap.

Way too small traps. Everything else is good

@1870s

4 жыл бұрын

I ended up increasing the size of one. I'm going to make the second one bigger this year as well. #cheers