WOW as a newbie keeper, I love that this is a low-cost way to get into swarm catching. Going to spend part of this weekend hunting up a couple of these boxes from our markets. Thanks for all the tips and insight into simple swarm traps. Just joined your channel can't wait to catch your older videos.
Hey Lawrence. You’ve missed a trick. The plastic tubes /viles which come with Covid Lateral Flow tests, are perfect for adding lemongrass and other oils and placing in a bait hive Best wishes
Top tip Lawrance, Ive been using these for the last 3 years & found they seem prefer deep to long & shallow. However ive caught in both using lemongrass oil on cotton wool in a small zip bag with a pin hole held inside the entrance with a drawing pin.
Hello, I do melt wax and paint it on the inside all over. I also put skewers across the box to act as top bars. These I dip in wax. It is a successful way to catch swarms. Not big enough for frames though.
Great idea! I love the benefit of a lightweight but insulated box. I am curious about how you will hang the box - it seems like you'll have to use a platform due to the fragility of the styrofoam. Also, since you're not using frames, it seems like adding parallel wooden skewers across the box as a place for bees to start comb might be beneficial. Thanks for the video - I'll keep this in mind for when my plywood swarm traps fall apart.
Cheers SS. Yes - we just place on top of a stack of pallets. You can add frames or starter strips but I wanted to keep the cost down as much as possible
@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks, I did try to get the colonies big, with hindsight perhaps I should have amalgamated them. Perhaps in future I will re-queen with some of your proven stock.
Yes they are used a lot for fish as well. You can actually just buy them new for that purpose and they are dirt cheap. Wouldnt last a season as a nuc though! Looked into this already :D
Haha that’s exactly what I did, I found a box blowing around the street and saw the lid following too. Immediate I thought , Swarm box! So glad you have done the same, I thought I was mad for it. Didn’t know butchers used them too so that makes it easier than finding a fishmonger in Caerphilly. Awesome video
Good tip! Thanks. I thought about placing some empty boxes out too. If there are no frames, we better monitor the activities every day. If you are a few days late, you cannot be sure if it has a virgin queen that mated or not. I suppose you can come and close the entrance at evening time and grab all the bees. But in that case you want to move the box for more than 6 miles. I am concerned that the virgin queen (if there is one) maybe between mating flights and may still head out. If you waited for a week or more, the box will have a lot of wild comb built. That's a lot of fun to cut out.
Hey this is a good idea!! One of my clients has a restaurant and disposed of his 5 gallon buckets. Little does he know they will now be used for primo swarm traps:) I really like this styrofoam idea though!
Nice, but one problem, bees will eat that for lunch, I have tens of these things that I use for mating nucs, but I lined them up with luan inside, works perfect. Dan
very cool! but is there any recommendations to where to put it in relations to food resources and such? it seems to me that would make a difference. im very green,tho! thanks,
Well, I happen to have one of those from a Omaha steaks Christmas present. Within 15 minutes I had it made. In another 10 minutes I had it placed with lemon grass oil and drawn brood. We shall see!!
Hi This is saud hadi I contacted you few days ago during your life broadcast. I now know that's all my bees and the queen has died.i don't know why ,they have food .any suggestions. Thanks
Hi Laurence, a note on which paints are suitable, and not, would be good. In some areas it's best not to have something big bright and white - eg: vandalism and theft.
Love your videos very helpful, thanks. I acquired my first hive and joined a bee club but as yet you have given me the best help ever. Question. I have looked on Ebay but can't seem to find the lemongrass oil sold in the Viles you mentioned. Is that because you bought a bottle and then decanted it into the vile? Thanks.
Hi Julie. Glad the videos have been helpful. Yes - much cheaper to buy pure lemongrass oil and decant. The ebay viles contain a mix of other stuff that's mostly just filler. Stick to pure organic lemongrass oil but make sure you dont get it on any poly as it can melt it
I have two empty bee boxes. Can I put some foundation frame in it and will it attract bees? I live in a forested area. Please reply soon. I'm so excited to catch a swarm of bees.
Had the same idea! No way I'm paying £50 for a ply box but will manage with splits. Will use the box though for catching my own swarm should it happen.
Hi Lawrence! Trying to get myself some swarm traps set up and have access to some used fishmongers boxes but I wondered if you had any advice on the smell? Obviously give them a good clean with washing up liquid but would any lingering smell detur the bees? Thanks!!
I have managed to source 20 boxes like these that will take 9 national brood frames.Might have to dummy off a bit of spare space towards the end. Do you have any concern of the swarm suffocating or over heating when moving them from capture site to apiary due to the small amount of air able to get in or would you punch additional holes in the box?
I managed to get a couple of these today but they're about twice the size of yours. I'm thinking about putting a divider in the middle and making one into 2. What could possibly go wrong?🙄😂
🐝💨That's one way to do it!🐝💨
My first bees were a swarm that landed on a fence. Just knocked them into a box and boom I'm a beekeeper! LOL 😎🐝🐝
Ha! You dont get much cheaper than that!
@@BlackMountainHoney it became quite the expensive hobby though😄🐝
WOW as a newbie keeper, I love that this is a low-cost way to get into swarm catching. Going to spend part of this weekend hunting up a couple of these boxes from our markets. Thanks for all the tips and insight into simple swarm traps. Just joined your channel can't wait to catch your older videos.
Thanks Kim! Hope you enjoy the channel and happy swarm hunting!
Some come with Cardboard. The cardboard can be waterproofed with primer and then exterior lates, semi gloss or gloss for more waterproofing.
Hey Lawrence. You’ve missed a trick.
The plastic tubes /viles which come with Covid Lateral Flow tests, are perfect for adding lemongrass and other oils and placing in a bait hive
Best wishes
Great tip! Thanks 😀
Thnx! Great Idea
I do enjoy sitting in garden with mug of tea, watching scouts bees inspecting my swarm traps.
Great fun isn't it
Top tip Lawrance, Ive been using these for the last 3 years & found they seem prefer deep to long & shallow. However ive caught in both using lemongrass oil on cotton wool in a small zip bag with a pin hole held inside the entrance with a drawing pin.
Defo. Tall deep natural cavities work well. Around the 40l mark
Fantastic tips! Looking forward to spring to try this. Many thanks
Cheers Andy
Can't wait till spring to try this!
Thanks Corey
Appreciate your novel ideas of swam catching.
Cheers JGV
Excellent idea! No more building plywood boxes.
Exactly :D
That's a really neat idea as the cost of timber has gone through the roof
Thanks Angela
Good cold morning from South Texas Sir!
Hello there! :D brrrrr
Love this Lawrence can get hold of these so easily
Good luck with them
Hello, I do melt wax and paint it on the inside all over. I also put skewers across the box to act as top bars. These I dip in wax. It is a successful way to catch swarms. Not big enough for frames though.
Great idea! I love the benefit of a lightweight but insulated box. I am curious about how you will hang the box - it seems like you'll have to use a platform due to the fragility of the styrofoam. Also, since you're not using frames, it seems like adding parallel wooden skewers across the box as a place for bees to start comb might be beneficial. Thanks for the video - I'll keep this in mind for when my plywood swarm traps fall apart.
Cheers SS. Yes - we just place on top of a stack of pallets. You can add frames or starter strips but I wanted to keep the cost down as much as possible
Thanks Laurence, having had a disaster with my colonies i cant wait for a few swarms to arrive. Hope all yours are ok.
Really sorry to see this Peter 😞
@@BlackMountainHoney Thanks, I did try to get the colonies big, with hindsight perhaps I should have amalgamated them. Perhaps in future I will re-queen with some of your proven stock.
spooky coincidence. I have a friend who imports and sells tropical fish - have a load of these ready for use this season.
Yes they are used a lot for fish as well. You can actually just buy them new for that purpose and they are dirt cheap. Wouldnt last a season as a nuc though! Looked into this already :D
Haha that’s exactly what I did, I found a box blowing around the street and saw the lid following too. Immediate I thought , Swarm box! So glad you have done the same, I thought I was mad for it. Didn’t know butchers used them too so that makes it easier than finding a fishmonger in Caerphilly. Awesome video
Tropical fish stores as well
@@BlackMountainHoney sounds like a plan ;) will you be at the royal Welsh show this year?
Caerphilly represent!
I had wildly good success using half an old national frame in a pallet wood box at about 1.5m ......in my garage
You cannot beat old black brood frames for catching swarms. Not easy to get hold of if you are just starting out though. Happy swarm catching
Good tip! Thanks. I thought about placing some empty boxes out too. If there are no frames, we better monitor the activities every day. If you are a few days late, you cannot be sure if it has a virgin queen that mated or not. I suppose you can come and close the entrance at evening time and grab all the bees. But in that case you want to move the box for more than 6 miles. I am concerned that the virgin queen (if there is one) maybe between mating flights and may still head out. If you waited for a week or more, the box will have a lot of wild comb built. That's a lot of fun to cut out.
I'll definitely leave one to fill up and cut out 😀
Hi Lawrence thanks for the great video.
Hey this is a good idea!! One of my clients has a restaurant and disposed of his 5 gallon buckets. Little does he know they will now be used for primo swarm traps:) I really like this styrofoam idea though!
Perfect! :D
@@BlackMountainHoney agreed! I like the recycle of the styrofoam:) not a bad way to help save the environment by making some swarm traps out of them:)
Love the thrifty idea! As a newbie in Australia, should i be facing the boxes north?
Thank you
How are you hanging that in the tree. We have a lot of thunderstorms during swarm season how does it hold up to a swarm
Nice, but one problem, bees will eat that for lunch, I have tens of these things that I use for mating nucs, but I lined them up with luan inside, works perfect. Dan
Very true and that's a great tip, Thanks!
Hi I put one up and caught three flying fish .
It's your lucky day!
I have done this before and it works great. The only problem is squirrels and birds will destroy them if they get a chance. ❤🐝
100% Within minutes!
very cool! but is there any recommendations to where to put it in relations to food resources and such? it seems to me that would make a difference. im very green,tho!
thanks,
Very good video , what I’m wondering is when is the best time to put out a swarm trap?
Well, I happen to have one of those from a Omaha steaks Christmas present. Within 15 minutes I had it made. In another 10 minutes I had it placed with lemon grass oil and drawn brood. We shall see!!
Hi
This is saud hadi I contacted you few days ago during your life broadcast. I now know that's all my bees and the queen has died.i don't know why ,they have food .any suggestions. Thanks
Good advice
Glad it was helpful!
Hi Laurence, a note on which paints are suitable, and not, would be good. In some areas it's best not to have something big bright and white - eg: vandalism and theft.
Yes. I painted mine. Quick colour rustoleum works well and doesnt melt it
Fantastic once more, would it matter if the bai hive was on a slanted shed roof, or would you advise to level up ?
Should be fine but preferably flat. Just secure it so it doesnt blow away
Ok, lets talk about location. Is it better to put traps in the forest, near houses or in more open area? Does it matter if its calm or noisy place?
Everywhere!
Really great tips thank you
Cheers BG
Well? Did you get a swarm in one of those boxes?
Had lots of interest but they didnt take the bait :(
Love your videos very helpful, thanks. I acquired my first hive and joined a bee club but as yet you have given me the best help ever. Question. I have looked on Ebay but can't seem to find the lemongrass oil sold in the Viles you mentioned. Is that because you bought a bottle and then decanted it into the vile? Thanks.
Hi Julie. Glad the videos have been helpful.
Yes - much cheaper to buy pure lemongrass oil and decant. The ebay viles contain a mix of other stuff that's mostly just filler. Stick to pure organic lemongrass oil but make sure you dont get it on any poly as it can melt it
I have two empty bee boxes. Can I put some foundation frame in it and will it attract bees? I live in a forested area. Please reply soon. I'm so excited to catch a swarm of bees.
Had the same idea! No way I'm paying £50 for a ply box but will manage with splits. Will use the box though for catching my own swarm should it happen.
Nice one!
Great idea! Where would you find something like this in the US and what would you call it? Thanks!
Try tropical fish sellers or big fish markets where they sell lobsters!
Did you got swarms with it , or it is just in idea ? I'm very curious to see swarms caught with this polisterol box.
Yes. I have caught loads of swarms in poly bait boxes. Bees love them. Very well insulated
Hi Lawrence! Trying to get myself some swarm traps set up and have access to some used fishmongers boxes but I wondered if you had any advice on the smell? Obviously give them a good clean with washing up liquid but would any lingering smell detur the bees? Thanks!!
Good video 👍
Cheers UKCP
I have managed to source 20 boxes like these that will take 9 national brood frames.Might have to dummy off a bit of spare space towards the end.
Do you have any concern of the swarm suffocating or over heating when moving them from capture site to apiary due to the small amount of air able to get in or would you punch additional holes in the box?
For 30 mins they should be fine but all depends on temps. You can easily cook them. Vented screen lid would be ideal
I managed to get a couple of these today but they're about twice the size of yours. I'm thinking about putting a divider in the middle and making one into 2. What could possibly go wrong?🙄😂
Did you ever make an update video? Very excited on the prospect of such a cheap option
I put my first bees in a cooler that was on the side of the road thrown away
what are your thoughts on horizontal hives?
I like them but not for commercial hives
What do you think of the ZEST hive
I've not seen it before. I'll take a look 😀
how much did the screw cost? :)
It was a around 0.001p
10k beekeeper off to the butcher in the morning 😂😂😂
Haha! Defo
the entrance disk went up 10p during the vid..sorry just abit of fun...
Just curious why are you always making comments about not wearing your safety equipment
Its novel because I seem to sleep in it throughout the beekeeping season!
Been to every butcher in town today and they all get their meat in cardboard boxes 👎👎. The hunt will continue 🧐
Bummer. Try fishmongers or tropical fish stores :D
Hey for free is wrong. Free does not need free
How do you mean?
@@BlackMountainHoney oops people say. This is for free. Free does not need the word for.