Author Topic: swarm trap  (Read 5598 times)

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Offline rober

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swarm trap
« on: May 23, 2019, 09:11:10 am »
my brain broke wind again. I have used my trap out box & some old nucs for swarm traps & was thinking about building a couple more when I had an idea while picking up some plumbing parts. I took a free 3 gallon icing bucket from a bakery, drilled an 1 1/2" dole near the bottom with a hole saw, & added mated threaded PVC fittings. when you catch a swarm install a PVC cap to transport the girls. the lids snap on so it's secure. I haven't done it to the trap in the photos yet but I drilled a hole thru the cap & fittings so I can drop a 16D nail thru the hole to secure the cap. add some burr comb & lemon grass oil, & a queen cage from a recently released queen if you have one, & you're good to go. if you wondering about the cavity size I've already caught 2 swarms in these. if you want more room use a 5 gallon bucket. these will stack when stored so they take up less room in the shed.







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Offline tedh

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #1 on: May 23, 2019, 09:17:30 am »
Brilliant, rober, brilliant!
Share that which you have an abundance of.  In doing so both the giver and receiver are enriched.

Offline rober

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #2 on: May 23, 2019, 09:35:14 am »
I do tend to think out of the box & try to find things that can be repurposed so I can use things off the shelf without having to fabricate parts. this trap cost less than $5.00 & takes about 20 minutes to build. the threads on the male fitting need to be trimmed roughly 5/16" to allow the fittings to be drawn tight together on the bucket. in one photo you can see some blue on the inside of the fitting. on a trim job one time I ran out of beeswax for lubricating wood screws & had another brain fart & used liquid soap to lube the screws. it worked great. when the fitting was trimmed the threads were a bit glitchy so I used dish detergent as a lube.
 my wife says i should have pointy ears like a vulcan because of the way my brain is wired.

Offline neillsayers

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #3 on: May 23, 2019, 11:19:33 pm »
Nicely done. Looking forward to pics of it's first catch. :)
Neill Sayers
Herbhome Bees
USDA Zone 7a

Offline Bakersdozen

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #4 on: May 24, 2019, 09:30:17 am »
I like the idea of using what you have.   How do secure it down?  I would have trouble removing any comb they built in there to place it in a brood box.

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #5 on: May 24, 2019, 08:09:04 pm »
What are percentage 's of catching swarms in your yards?

Offline rober

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #6 on: May 24, 2019, 10:58:08 pm »
I have a swarm trap at every bee yard & a couple near bee trees. most are boxes of some type I have 3 of the bucket traps now & have caught 1 swarm in one to date. they're not in the bucket long enough to make enough comb to worry about. all the traps are mounted on metal shelf brackets that are attached to trees. this spring has been a swarm fest around this area so i'm checking traps often. I've had more hives swarm this year than I've in the last 10 years total.

Offline Green bee

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2019, 10:58:41 pm »
Thanks for sharing Rober I’ll be trying this out. Just one question how does it ventilate?  Also would painting the bucket black bother anything. I have always heard the bees like the darkness. Seems like the white bucket would be kinda bright inside. What’s your thoughts.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline rober

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #8 on: June 13, 2019, 08:58:47 pm »
I tried painting one & the paint did not adhere very well. the buckets are PVC & had bakery icing in them which is really greasy. there is no ventilation but some tree cavities & building cavities often have no ventilation either. also, as I said i'm checking these traps every 3 days or so.

Offline Green bee

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #9 on: June 16, 2019, 09:38:30 pm »
   I been thinking about making some from sheet metal and painting them white. We have a plasma cutter at our shop . Could cut one out in just a second. I just wonder if the bees would use it. Of course I could add ventilation. They would last several seasons and would Weigh to much. What’s you thoughts?  I could also make it fit some old deep frames.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline rober

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #10 on: June 17, 2019, 10:11:50 am »
bare metal can get reeeeaaaaally  hot. you'd likely be building a solar oven.

Offline Green bee

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #11 on: June 17, 2019, 06:15:09 pm »
Lol that was my thoughts. I was thinking about a insulation of some sort. Idk. But your right probably be a bee oven. :laugh:
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #12 on: June 22, 2019, 01:36:03 pm »
If there's housing being built near by . New ,  they usually have enough scraps they throw away. You can find what ya need to make traps, there not permanent housing just traps

Offline Mikey N.C.

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Re: swarm trap
« Reply #13 on: June 22, 2019, 01:41:38 pm »
Go buy new housing development , they have lots of scrap wood enough to make traps, remember not permanent housing, just temporary for bee's.