Which frames and how many to use in a swarm trap?

[Jengles]

Two wired starter strip frames with one old brood frame sandwiched in between. Brood box painted inside with propolis. Box on potting shed roof at convergence of energy lines. Never fails.

I don't know if I've got energy lines here... Would strapping the box to the top of the nearest telegraph pole work?

 

[Moobee]

I don't know if I've got energy lines here... Would strapping the box to the top of the nearest telegraph pole work?

Good luck with getting it down with a big swarm in it!

 

[blackcloud]

Just make it visible to a scout bee and a comfortable hight off the ground.It's up to the scout bees from then on.

Going down leyline/cosmic karma route will have you dancing naked around leylandii trees at midnight .
Those sort of exhibitionists are surprisingly hostile to intruders too....

That said, to the amazement of everyone present including myself, I successfully doused the convoluted route of drain at work with a pair of bent welding rods, after the guys who were trying to dig it up had 'lost' it.

 

[Newbeeneil]

That said, to the amazement of everyone present including myself, I successfully doused the convoluted route of drain at work with a pair of bent welding rods, after the guys who were trying to dig it up had 'lost' it.

I sometimes hate to admit it but I've been there too! Finding telecommunication ducts for contractors who had "mislaid" them was a big part of my days for a while during the 80's

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't know if I've got energy lines here... Would strapping the box to the top of the nearest telegraph pole work?

Of course it will. You should try it.

 

[Poly Hive]

FWIW. My bait boxes have usually been 5 frame nucs and they have been reasonably successful. I put in one old frame, the rest foundation and add lemon grass oil. I have also used full boxes often not deliberately but stacks of spare kit which often pick up the odd swarm. All of this I add on the ground.

KISS

PH

 

[Jon.21]

Last year I put a bs honeybees 14x12 nuc up on top of a pergola so about 7ft up and caught 2 swarms in it at different points in the year. Nuc was empty except for a thin board in the bottom to cover over the mesh floor and some bits of comb and a couple drops of lemongrass oil. I checked on it each day and when the swarms arrived I went out and put frames of foundation in - was amazed that even after 3 or 4 hours they had built out a couple of inches of comb off the roof.

 

[Dodge]

Setup a wooden national with solid floor and lemongrass a number of years ago. Swarm arrived and settled with a pre-marked queen.