I'm an elder woman with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been thinking about the bucket swarm traps because they are light. But the wood seems more attractive and happy for the bees...and because of the frames easier to transfer into their permanent home. I really appreciate this concept of just a lighter weight wooden trap. And you do make it in an easy enough way for me to copy. So thank you very much! Made my day! 💓
Diane - I am so happy you found the video and feel it can help you. I have had much success with this type of trap. When I first started building them a few years back, I realized quickly, the lighter, the better. I hope you have much success this swarm season. :)
The empty space under the frames works great, not needed but def works better, but it does restrict the use of these to swarm boxes only. Cannot use them as standby nuts. Personally despite the improved catch rates I will stick to std nucs, ad I can simply pick them up from the swarm catchment area and bring them to my apiary. A great post, thank you for sharing. PS, love the thinner wood, makes moving them easier on the back
Dude thank you, the bees will have a good place to relocate now. I'll Bee trapping from now on, my neighbor says they're in the floor of his shed. I thank you
Great! Hope it helps. Good luck swarm trapping! If you build it, make sure to take into consideration the 1/4” in width mistake I mention in the notes under the video.
Thank you Patrick. I'm actually a classroom teacher so I guess I like to hear myself talk. :). I hope you build this type and if you do, please remember to take into consideration the measurement mistake I made and talk about in the description below the video. Thanks for the kind words. Good luck!!
I totally agree on that weight, my first swarm boxes were made out of 3/4 plywood, stuff I just had laying around. Big mistake. I was so excited on my first catches, till I tried to lift them down, Wow, they were so heavy and 10ft in the air. So, atop of a 6ft ladder was just crazy to lift them down. I just completed 3 new traps, again made from scrap wood , but mostly 3/8 smart siding, a lot lighter and hung them at 6ft high. Lighter is better...
Hello I just found your video. I see it has been a while since you posted it but I enjoyed it. You talking about having to wait if there are bees in the entrance an I Like Your little porch you came Up with but if I could give you a different idea tho you May have changed this sense you did this video. These round selection disk that has a hole, vent, queen excluder and a closed spot where you just turn the disk to whatever opening you Want to use those are great on swarm boxes . I think the hole size you drill in the box is a 1” or a 1-1/4” . Then all you have to do is walk up to Your trap turn the disk an close the hole Off an go . Just a thought. Thanks
I hope you catch many swarms this spring. I am going into my 3rd year of Beekeeping here in West Virginian I caught 3 swarms in traps last summer. I like catching swarms.
That sounds great! I love catching swarms. It's so exciting to see them checking it out and then committing to the occupancy of the trap. You can't beat free bees, in my opinion. Good luck this season!!
Wonderful! Nothing better than free bees. I’m hoping to post another video soon on what to do next with this particular swarm trap. Thanks much and good luck this coming swarm season!!!
Thank you! I'm always wanting to improve. No reason to kill them if a keeper can keep from it. If you build this one, make sure you see my 1/4" correction in the width that I put in the description below the video. Hope you have much success this year! :)
Good idea, I'd hinge the screen to hang down so all you have to do is flip it up and fasten it somehow to close the entrance. You won't lose it that way. :D
Make sure you take into account my mistake of the 1/4" on the width I mention in the description below the video. Hope you have a great season this year!! :)
thanks for the video...rather than stapling hardware cloth, counter sink some rare earth magnets into that opening protrusion. Then just slap your hardware cloth over, the magnets will hold it inplace
The proof is in the success...I always thought the swarming bees were hunting For a particular sound of vibration...meaning a particular thickness/sturdiness to a new home...but if you’re having success with 1/4” plywood that rules that theory out...I wish I had tried your method before I built my boxes....they are grossly heavy...I’ll see if they captures some swarms...if not....I will certainly build the next ones like yours.....I’m in southern eastern Ohio...Thanks....
Well, the first ones I started building a few years ago were 1/2" OSB scrap from house builds. They too were grossly heavy, but worked well. They were difficult enough to get up and down and then if you throw in a couple more pounds of bees, it was just almost unenjoyable to retrieve them. I started using more 1/4" plywood last year and I didn't really see any drop off in success in attracting swarms. I'm hoping it is just more about the amount of inside space, bait, some old comb, and some really good luck!! But, I would never claim to be a swarm trap expert. I leave that up to the real experts. I just do what seems to work for me. Hope you have much success this season!
On recycled lumber, I built somebee stands out of crooked two by sixes that simply could not be squared. One of the legs was up in the air 3 inches compared to the others and one of the boards in the center of the top of the thing was sticking up so that I could instead of bee hive on top of the thing and expected to be still, so I took a Circular saw and planed the thing down. Then I shimmed the high leg until the things sat level. Nobody’s gonna look at it and it saves my back, and it gives me a place to put things when I’m dealing with the hive, and I didn’t lend a hundred bucks on it.
Thank you for this video.i have a question, can you tell me what all I need to put in the trap once I build it? I have the spray commander but what else do I need to put besides trap and frames? Thank yoh
Thank you! Glad you did! Did you see my comment above this one about getting detailed plans? Richard put them down with AutoCAD but has made them in a pdf form so we can easily print them off. Let me know if you need help getting them. ;)
My first ones were built from 1/2" OSB as well. Way too heavy. Started using more of the 1/4" plywood and it is so much more manageable. And with the cost of lumber these days, all you have to do is check with house builds and you can find all kinds of useful scrap pieces for traps. FREE!!!
Thank you for the video. I think this is one of the easiest and simplest swarm traps that I have seen on UA-cam to build. I will definitely use your measurements to build one. One question I do have is do you use any aluminum flashing on your cover?
Thank you! Make sure you take into consideration my mistake of the 1/4 inch in the width I mention in the notes section under the video. I have used aluminum flashing for a couple of swarm trap lids, but I found that I can just put 2 or 3 coats of paint on the wood tops as well and it last many seasons. It's cheaper and less work since I'm painting anyway. Hope you have much success!!
Join the FB group 'Beekeeping Hacks.' Once a member, go to the tab that says 'More.' Then choose 'Files.' Choose the file titled "Swarm Trap - r4.pdf.' That should do it for you. If not, let me know. :)
Thanks for the video. Can you clarify your notes above when you say add 1/4"? Do you mean an 1/4" to the measurements you have written in marker on the piece shown in the video?
Would you happen to know how many inches you’d have to add to the width if you wanted it to hold 7 frames instead of 6? Also, if you took some height off of the box, would it be beneficial to not give them so much space to build comb that would be excess comb. I’m trying to avoid brood comb that I’d have to waste.
@@pwnasty That is an excellent question. You could do that and I'm assuming you would add to the width whatever the width is of the average frame. It is late at night here and I am inside at the computer so I can't measure that just now. The optimal swarm trap volume is apparently supposed to be in the neighborhood of 40-45 liters. So, I would assume that if you add some width to it to cut back on the open space below the frames, just don't cut back too much depth that it goes below the recommended volume. I've never had an issue with them really building comb on the bottom of the frames in a swarm trap of this size. Only one time when we left one up at a friend's place and forgot about it for a month. After a swarm is in them, as long as you move them to a permanent hive within a few days, there shouldn't be any extracurricular comb building on the bottoms. The 6 frames should be enough to keep them occupied til you transfer them. Hope this helps!!
Two questions: 1. Front frame rest you wrote 5/16, rear frame rest you wrote 5/8. It looks like both are 5/8, is that the right measurement? 2. How tall is the entrance hole you cut in the from of the trap?
Very good eye. Both frame rests should be 5/8” down from the top. I got in too much of a hurry cause I didn’t want the video to be too long, I guess. Next time, I’ll have to slow down with less errors. Thanks for finding that. I also put the entrance somewhere in the neighborhood of 2” from the bottom as well as 2” wide. I don’t think those have to be too exact. Thanks again for checking. Good luck!!
@@martingayle5376 well, what I do is not OSHA approved, I’m sure. But I blindly cut the slit with the table saw by bringing the piece of wood down, holding it firmly, and let the saw blade come up through the wood until it cuts the slit the width I want it. No real measurement. Just til it looks right. But you are correct, just big enough so that I’m sure a queen can get through. I hope that helps. Sorry if I’m not very clear on that. But if you are not comfortable with doing that, just use a 3/4” or 1” drill bit and cut a hole instead of a slit. I’ve caught swarms with slits and hole entrances.
@@washfamapiary659 Thanks for the replies! I'm a wanna-bee keeper... hopefully will get started soon and was thinking catching a swarm would be a neat way to do so.
@@martingayle5376 it is a neat way and kind of cheaper than buying bees, although I’m not opposed to that either. Pros and cons to both. When you get close to pulling the trigger, feel free to ask more questions. If I don’t have the answer, I’ll find it for you. 👍🏻
We've also just strapped one down on our back deck right outside our kitchen and back door. Watching the scout bees increasing over a couple of weeks and then the swarm moving in that Saturday morning was surreal. "They" say the higher you get the trap, the better the chances, but honestly, I have caught about as many 5 or 6 feet off the ground as I have 10 to 12 feet. Check out this video from last summer. Good luck!! ua-cam.com/video/uvws3vM2sI8/v-deo.html
If you are asking about the actual opening into the trap, it is about 2" long and about 1/4" wide. I make it just big enough that a queen can go through it. Hope that makes sense. Thanks!!
Oh, I do collect at night. My issue was I hated to squish the guard bees outside the entrance on a flat entrance. Or if it is already too hot, some will hang out near the entrance to make the trap “hive” cooler. That is why I added the little extension to the entrance area. 👍🏻
Richard from Parsons Apiary in Canada has been gracious enough to put these designs on AutoCAD in cad form and pdf form. If you would like to have them, please let me know and I will send them to you. Unfortunately, I do not know how to just post them here. Thanks!!
Probably a very unsafe way. I held the front wall blindly down on my table saw and cut through 2-3 times until I got the entrance the size I wanted it. There are no exact measurements. Just basically about 2 inches wide of an opening and large enough that a queen can go through on the heighth. Hope that makes sense. ;)
![🐝 Layen's Swarm Trap Build [Free Bees]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/asguNmhcffk/mqdefault.jpg)
You're not cheap. You're frugal. I like it
I'm an elder woman with Rheumatoid Arthritis. I have been thinking about the bucket swarm traps because they are light. But the wood seems more attractive and happy for the bees...and because of the frames easier to transfer into their permanent home. I really appreciate this concept of just a lighter weight wooden trap. And you do make it in an easy enough way for me to copy. So thank you very much! Made my day! 💓
Diane - I am so happy you found the video and feel it can help you. I have had much success with this type of trap. When I first started building them a few years back, I realized quickly, the lighter, the better. I hope you have much success this swarm season. :)
The empty space under the frames works great, not needed but def works better, but it does restrict the use of these to swarm boxes only. Cannot use them as standby nuts. Personally despite the improved catch rates I will stick to std nucs, ad I can simply pick them up from the swarm catchment area and bring them to my apiary. A great post, thank you for sharing. PS, love the thinner wood, makes moving them easier on the back
Homesteading in Western NC, I thought I might enjoy bee's and honey is a great trade idem along with eggs. I'll be building your trap.
Thanks again
Hope all goes well. Good luck! Once you start trapping, it's difficult to stop. ;)
Good video. As a carpenter/woodworker I think you did a excellent job. And I will be making one making a few
Thank you! Love working with wood and bees, so it's a double good experience. ;)
Also - if you use my measurements, please see my correction in the notes under the video. Good luck trapping!
Dude thank you, the bees will have a good place to relocate now. I'll Bee trapping from now on, my neighbor says they're in the floor of his shed.
I thank you
No problem. Good luck!
This is such a simple and easy video to understand. Thank you
Great! Hope it helps. Good luck swarm trapping! If you build it, make sure to take into consideration the 1/4” in width mistake I mention in the notes under the video.
Thanks! You have a really nice way about you and clear descriptions and rationale. Very helpful!
Thank you Patrick. I'm actually a classroom teacher so I guess I like to hear myself talk. :). I hope you build this type and if you do, please remember to take into consideration the measurement mistake I made and talk about in the description below the video. Thanks for the kind words. Good luck!!
The extension in front of the entrance Priceless thank you very much sir🐝🐝🐝🐝👍👍
Glad you like it! Hope it works out like I want it to. If you use the design, let us know how it works for you. Good luck to you this season!!!
I totally agree on that weight, my first swarm boxes were made out of 3/4 plywood, stuff I just had laying around. Big mistake. I was so excited on my first catches, till I tried to lift them down, Wow, they were so heavy and 10ft in the air. So, atop of a 6ft ladder was just crazy to lift them down. I just completed 3 new traps, again made from scrap wood , but mostly 3/8 smart siding, a lot lighter and hung them at 6ft high. Lighter is better...
Totally agree with you. Lighter is better. :)
Hello I just found your video. I see it has been a while since you posted it but I enjoyed it. You talking about having to wait if there are bees in the entrance an I
Like
Your little porch you came
Up with but if I could give you a different idea tho you
May have changed this sense you did this video. These round selection disk that has a hole, vent, queen excluder and a closed spot where you just turn the disk to whatever opening you
Want to use those are great on swarm boxes . I think the hole size you drill in the box is a 1” or a 1-1/4” . Then all you have to do is walk up to
Your trap turn the disk an close the hole
Off an go . Just a thought. Thanks
I've seen those discs. I do like that idea and it probably makes more sense, but sometimes my frugalness can hold me back. :)
I hope you catch many swarms this spring. I am going into my 3rd year of Beekeeping here in West Virginian I caught 3 swarms in traps last summer. I like catching swarms.
That sounds great! I love catching swarms. It's so exciting to see them checking it out and then committing to the occupancy of the trap. You can't beat free bees, in my opinion. Good luck this season!!
Just found your channel. I love swarm trapping and chasing.
Wonderful! Nothing better than free bees. I’m hoping to post another video soon on what to do next with this particular swarm trap. Thanks much and good luck this coming swarm season!!!
Cool box. Thank you for the video and the dimensions. Love that you want to keep the bees safe from unnecessary harm.
Thank you! I'm always wanting to improve. No reason to kill them if a keeper can keep from it. If you build this one, make sure you see my 1/4" correction in the width that I put in the description below the video. Hope you have much success this year! :)
I love it when he said I should have done cut this but I knew I would lose it
Thanks for the video. You got some good ideas.
Thanks for the kind words. Looking forward to spring. Good luck this year!
I just found your channel! Staying tuned for more videos. Good luck in 2021!
Super!!! Good luck to you with 2021 as well!!
Good idea, I'd hinge the screen to hang down so all you have to do is flip it up and fasten it somehow to close the entrance. You won't lose it that way. :D
Thought about doing something like that, but just ran out of resources and man-power. ;). But, nice suggestion though. 👍🏻
Great job! I like the way you didnt waste alot of viewing time cutting wood ! Like that entrance Idea 1 Thanks again
Thank you J. Peyton! Hope you have a good season beekeeping!
Keep at beekeeping and you will become a Carpenter, a trucker an entomologist and a bunch other skills…
Totally true. Before beekeeping, I had never even touched a table saw. :)
I like your model and way too save on the hobby.
Thnx for the measurements!
Make sure you take into account my mistake of the 1/4" on the width I mention in the description below the video. Hope you have a great season this year!! :)
thanks for the video...rather than stapling hardware cloth, counter sink some rare earth magnets into that opening protrusion. Then just slap your hardware cloth over, the magnets will hold it inplace
Great idea. Thanks much!!!
Going to make one for myself thanks so much.
Sure thing. Good Luck!!!
Good job
The proof is in the success...I always thought the swarming bees were hunting
For a particular sound of vibration...meaning a particular thickness/sturdiness to a new home...but if you’re having success with 1/4” plywood that rules that theory out...I wish I had tried your method before I built my boxes....they are grossly heavy...I’ll see if they captures some swarms...if not....I will certainly build the next ones like yours.....I’m in southern eastern Ohio...Thanks....
Well, the first ones I started building a few years ago were 1/2" OSB scrap from house builds. They too were grossly heavy, but worked well. They were difficult enough to get up and down and then if you throw in a couple more pounds of bees, it was just almost unenjoyable to retrieve them. I started using more 1/4" plywood last year and I didn't really see any drop off in success in attracting swarms. I'm hoping it is just more about the amount of inside space, bait, some old comb, and some really good luck!! But, I would never claim to be a swarm trap expert. I leave that up to the real experts. I just do what seems to work for me. Hope you have much success this season!
Thanks for the nice explanation, i'm going to build something similar. greetings from Denmark
Hey there in Denmark! Thanks for your kind words. I hope you have a great beekeeping season and much luck catching a swarm! ;)
Thank you sir!
On recycled lumber, I built somebee stands out of crooked two by sixes that simply could not be squared. One of the legs was up in the air 3 inches compared to the others and one of the boards in the center of the top of the thing was sticking up so that I could instead of bee hive on top of the thing and expected to be still, so I took a Circular saw and planed the thing down. Then I shimmed the high leg until the things sat level. Nobody’s gonna look at it and it saves my back, and it gives me a place to put things when I’m dealing with the hive, and I didn’t lend a hundred bucks on it.
Next best thing to free bees is free lumber, in my beekeeper's opinion.
Thanks for a great video.
Great video.
Thanks much Benjamin!! Hope you have much success this season!! Thanks for watching!
Just found your channel. War Eagle!
Yup! War Eagle back!!! 🐅
Thank you for this video.i have a question, can you tell me what all I need to put in the trap once I build it? I have the spray commander but what else do I need to put besides trap and frames? Thank yoh
Love your video , can't wait to build.
Thank you! Glad you did! Did you see my comment above this one about getting detailed plans? Richard put them down with AutoCAD but has made them in a pdf form so we can easily print them off. Let me know if you need help getting them. ;)
I made some traps from half-inch OSB and it was heavy, so I came upon some poor quality 3/8 Chinese ply but it's great for traps and super light.
My first ones were built from 1/2" OSB as well. Way too heavy. Started using more of the 1/4" plywood and it is so much more manageable. And with the cost of lumber these days, all you have to do is check with house builds and you can find all kinds of useful scrap pieces for traps. FREE!!!
Thank you for the video. I think this is one of the easiest and simplest swarm traps that I have seen on UA-cam to build. I will definitely use your measurements to build one. One question I do have is do you use any aluminum flashing on your cover?
Thank you! Make sure you take into consideration my mistake of the 1/4 inch in the width I mention in the notes section under the video. I have used aluminum flashing for a couple of swarm trap lids, but I found that I can just put 2 or 3 coats of paint on the wood tops as well and it last many seasons. It's cheaper and less work since I'm painting anyway. Hope you have much success!!
Good video brother WAR EAGLE
Thank you, Corey! And WAR EAGLE back at you! 🦅
Would this type of box dimensions accommodate Layens frames?
Yes I am on Facebook.
Join the FB group 'Beekeeping Hacks.' Once a member, go to the tab that says 'More.' Then choose 'Files.' Choose the file titled "Swarm Trap - r4.pdf.' That should do it for you. If not, let me know. :)
Jimmy - were you able to get to that group and get the plans?
Thanks for the video. Can you clarify your notes above when you say add 1/4"? Do you mean an 1/4" to the measurements you have written in marker on the piece shown in the video?
Sorry for the delay. Add 1/4” to the width of the dimensions if you are looking at the trap from the front. Hope that makes sense.
Awesome! Thank you so much!
Thanks! Good luck swarm trapping!
Would you happen to know how many inches you’d have to add to the width if you wanted it to hold 7 frames instead of 6? Also, if you took some height off of the box, would it be beneficial to not give them so much space to build comb that would be excess comb. I’m trying to avoid brood comb that I’d have to waste.
I guess what I’m asking is if you gave them more space horizontally, would they accept space horizontally if you took it away from them vertically?
@@pwnasty That is an excellent question. You could do that and I'm assuming you would add to the width whatever the width is of the average frame. It is late at night here and I am inside at the computer so I can't measure that just now. The optimal swarm trap volume is apparently supposed to be in the neighborhood of 40-45 liters. So, I would assume that if you add some width to it to cut back on the open space below the frames, just don't cut back too much depth that it goes below the recommended volume. I've never had an issue with them really building comb on the bottom of the frames in a swarm trap of this size. Only one time when we left one up at a friend's place and forgot about it for a month. After a swarm is in them, as long as you move them to a permanent hive within a few days, there shouldn't be any extracurricular comb building on the bottoms. The 6 frames should be enough to keep them occupied til you transfer them. Hope this helps!!
Two questions:
1. Front frame rest you wrote 5/16, rear frame rest you wrote 5/8. It looks like both are 5/8, is that the right measurement?
2. How tall is the entrance hole you cut in the from of the trap?
Very good eye. Both frame rests should be 5/8” down from the top. I got in too much of a hurry cause I didn’t want the video to be too long, I guess. Next time, I’ll have to slow down with less errors. Thanks for finding that. I also put the entrance somewhere in the neighborhood of 2” from the bottom as well as 2” wide. I don’t think those have to be too exact. Thanks again for checking. Good luck!!
@@washfamapiary659 What size bit did you use to cut the entrance slit? Wide enought for a queen abdomen, fur sure... 3/8"?
@@martingayle5376 well, what I do is not OSHA approved, I’m sure. But I blindly cut the slit with the table saw by bringing the piece of wood down, holding it firmly, and let the saw blade come up through the wood until it cuts the slit the width I want it. No real measurement. Just til it looks right. But you are correct, just big enough so that I’m sure a queen can get through. I hope that helps. Sorry if I’m not very clear on that. But if you are not comfortable with doing that, just use a 3/4” or 1” drill bit and cut a hole instead of a slit. I’ve caught swarms with slits and hole entrances.
@@washfamapiary659 Thanks for the replies! I'm a wanna-bee keeper... hopefully will get started soon and was thinking catching a swarm would be a neat way to do so.
@@martingayle5376 it is a neat way and kind of cheaper than buying bees, although I’m not opposed to that either. Pros and cons to both. When you get close to pulling the trigger, feel free to ask more questions. If I don’t have the answer, I’ll find it for you. 👍🏻
Thank you
You're welcome!! :)
Like you’re video. Just one question how are you hanging your swarm traps?
I watched your older video on how you hang them thanks again
@@trentwetzel7673 I'm assuming you mean you watched this video for how to hang the traps?
ua-cam.com/video/SBO5Kq24yOc/v-deo.html
We've also just strapped one down on our back deck right outside our kitchen and back door. Watching the scout bees increasing over a couple of weeks and then the swarm moving in that Saturday morning was surreal. "They" say the higher you get the trap, the better the chances, but honestly, I have caught about as many 5 or 6 feet off the ground as I have 10 to 12 feet. Check out this video from last summer. Good luck!!
ua-cam.com/video/uvws3vM2sI8/v-deo.html
What is the opening size? Thanks for the ideas.
If you are asking about the actual opening into the trap, it is about 2" long and about 1/4" wide. I make it just big enough that a queen can go through it. Hope that makes sense. Thanks!!
collect the swarm hive at night
then you will get all the foragers
Oh, I do collect at night. My issue was I hated to squish the guard bees outside the entrance on a flat entrance. Or if it is already too hot, some will hang out near the entrance to make the trap “hive” cooler. That is why I added the little extension to the entrance area. 👍🏻
@@washfamapiary659 Excellent, Looks like that would also help with rain and cross winds.
@@johnkennedy1242 I hope so. Thanks for your viewing and comments John! Good luck this season!
Richard from Parsons Apiary in Canada has been gracious enough to put these designs on AutoCAD in cad form and pdf form. If you would like to have them, please let me know and I will send them to you. Unfortunately, I do not know how to just post them here. Thanks!!
I would like to get a copy of those plans.
@@jimmydawson2469would you happen to be on Facebook?
How did you cut the entrance?
Probably a very unsafe way. I held the front wall blindly down on my table saw and cut through 2-3 times until I got the entrance the size I wanted it. There are no exact measurements. Just basically about 2 inches wide of an opening and large enough that a queen can go through on the heighth. Hope that makes sense. ;)