New Swarm Trap Concept

The way I build beekeeping-related things is in my head first. I look at the design and imagine the places that need improvement by seeing it clearly working with my imagination.

If something doesn’t work, I think of how it could work. This is how I get my designs and measurements for actually realizing it and coming up with a hands-on project.

The most recent one is my new Swarm Trap design based on what I know about the behavioral patterns of honey bee swarms AND my experience with open-air swarms while beekeeping in Central Florida.

What I came up with had two purposes:

1. To build as may traps as I could using only one 4’x8’ sheet of 3/4” plywood and

2. Use the least amount of materials necessary while still creating a swarm trap that performs.

So what did I come up with? A Bottomless Swarm Trap. That’s right, this swarm trap has no bottom and so when hanging from a tree, fence or post you can look up and see the frames hanging in the trap just as you can see the comb that feral colonies build from the underside of a tree branch.

At this point I am still building my new swarm traps and have not tested them yet. Of course there is only one way to test them…let the bees do it!

I am making one more major tweak to the swarm trap aside from making it open-air bottomless; most swarm traps have the inside cavity volume equivalent to two 5-frame nucs, one on top of the other. Well I am making mine with slightly less volume, equivalent to the depth of one deep hive body and one medium honey super.

Here is what I have left to do:

• Paint everything.

• Drill holes and install Vent Slides.

• Load with frames, bait and hang!

And get this…I found an awesome hanging tool designed specifically for swarm traps! I have ordered it but it has not yet arrived. Check it out Here! I will be doing a follow up newsletter to this one once I have completed all the steps and have the trap set up in place.

If any of you are interested in something like this then let me know and I am happy to share the cut-dimensions of all the parts, as well as how to put it together.