Setting Swarm Traps Late | Honeybees Wait for Me 

Lots of great tips in this video, Mike! Thanks for sharing them. Old trusty is still looking good! God bless you and yours, brother!

I love catching swarms it's something to do and I love the story how I catch them and the challenge

Awesome video Mike. Thanks for saving the bees.

Got my swarm traps ready in Va 😁🐝👍❤️ had some bees checking it out yesterday. Keeping fingers crossed 🤞

Caught 3 swarms last year doing how you do 😂 thanks Mike

SW PA and I set our traps the third week in March.

Put out some traps Saturday and had bees checking them out in the back of the truck. Going to be a good swarm year. Good luck

Same as that an adventure for me too, love setting them out, it's like fishing going checking on them, great video 👌

An old paper slicer like we use to see in school, works great for slicing starter strips 😊 and I had two swarms the other day was getting things ready to put them in a box next thing I know the swarm is air born and over the row of hives wouldn't yeah know they were moving in to a dead out I left in the row both swarms went back in to empty hives

Thank you for another wonderful video, sir!!! I got into my hives today and they all survived so far!!! I've got eggs, larva and capped brood in all 3 so I'm going to give them a pollen patty and syrup and hopefully will be off to the races!!! Wishing you a successful season and a safe one!! Till we meet again, take care and trust in the lord!!!

Lots of good tips Mike. Thanks and good luck. Hope you catch a bunch. Take care.

Thanks Mike for the tips. I use the plywood to set my traps on too. I call them the “flaps” because they fold together. After I had one blown off, I started wrapping a strap around the tree and box. No more fallen boxes. I am ready to chase some swarms.

Queens cells here in N.W. Arkansas, usually first swarms are at the end of March.

Thanks so much Mike, I always enjoy seeing how you do bees, God Bless!

Good luck Mike! I hope that you catch all that you need.

I agree, Mike. Hanging boxes more than head high is not necessary. More than 40 years ago, an old beekeeper told me to orient the frames North and South, with the entrance facing south. I have always done that with great success. These days I usually only put out about 4 traps and usually end up giving away 2 or 3 swarms. Enjoyed the video, take care .

Settin out swarm traps here on eastern shore of Maryland. 1 or 2 frames of brood comb then rest empty wired frames in a 8 or 10 frame deep. Swarm Commander on a q-tip pushed in a piece of straw plucked in entrance every 2 or 3 weeks. CMON SWARMS hopefully not my own 😅

Today was the 1st day I've seen my bees bringing in pollen since the end of the Witch Hazel bloom in Nov. Most likely Red Maple and Crocus pollen from the pollen color and time of year.

Hello first of all I use a white spoon just like yours for the same thing waxing strips in an my comb foundation. I got my first swarm this past weekend AND it was not even my own bees this time. LOL. 😂Thanks !!.

That dull knife looks like one Pampered Chef sold years ago. I have several in my knife drawer. I use the non-wire sheets of wax. Instead of a spoon I have acid brushes from HF does the same thing. Next time you drive by Salvation Army stop in and buy that metal spoon 😊. Good luck with your swarm season. Ours doesn't start until mid May. Edit: I use a ratchet strap to secure the trap to the tree.

Thanks Mike, I always enjoy your videos and your knowledge.

Caught my first swam this afternoon! Ocala Florida

It’s always fun and exciting as you are pulling up to your traps!! Good luck.

Thanks for the "How you do" swarm trap tips, Mike. It's always good seeing your videos.

I need to get all of mine up too. Thanks Mike!

The older I get, the more cautious I get....I don't climb and cut trees like I did when I was younger. Keep them within arm's reach!

Awesome video always a joy to see your videos I love your videos this time of year. Mike I have a question might be a little off topic but this time of year is robbing bad.

Thanks for the info on swarm traps. I’m going to set some myself!!

Mike swarm trapping looks interesting, it nothing I’ve ever tried I never seen bees around my house until I got bees . I had a couple of swarms but they were my own

Another great video. I remember reviewing last year's video repeatedly before setting out our traps. Caught two ourselves! Hope you catch more than you know what to do w/! Good Bless.

It certainly is fun catching swarms in traps. Quite the rush!🐝😎

Thanks for sharing your knowledge Mike. I’m starting out this year with my first Nucs ready end of April. I’ve learned a lot watching you and some others. I know I have a lot more to learn but I’m enjoying the journey. Thanks James

Great timely video, I hit pause and went out and checked two different red bud trees to see how far along they were. These warm temps this year in SW Missouri have been hard to gauge. One red bud is just starting to open flowers and the other is not but, the maples are going. I think in this next week or so I might need to get some swarm traps out. Thanks for reminding me to check what's going on, even though it would seem early for my area.

For the plum tree to bear fruit. You need at least 1 other tree in the prunus family. So peach, plum, apricot, nectarines, pluots, I think cherry also works. Almond SHOULD allow for cross pollination. Many fruits and berries require a different cultivar to cross pollinate and bear fruit. They aren't self pollinating. So if you fine out what cultivar of plum you have (even if it's ornamental) and plant another variety/cultivar of plum, they'll cross pollinate. Just like if you have an apple and pear within a few hundred feet of eachother, they'll cross pollinate. But if you have 2 red delicious apples, they won't bear fruit because they're the same cultivar. You can also graft scions of different cultivars onto the same tree, as long as they're still in the same genus. So for instance, apples and plums are in the same Rosaceae family, but apples are in the malaceae genus while plums and peaches are in prunuceae genus. Pomegranate and a lot of other fruits are in the same Rose family, but you have to have 2 different varieties in each Genus for them to produce fruit. Look into cross pollination, there will be more information. Blueberries is another common one where people get 2 or 3 of the same variety, but you need a minimum of 2 different varieties for them to bear fruit. Thank you for another great video.

Swarm traps satisfies the same need as fishing and hunting, but has zero regulations, no bag limit and is super cheap!

I got cheap soldering iron from amazon and used it to melt starter strip into grooves.

Thanks Mike, I like the tip about the qtip in a straw. Thanks for sharing.

Last swarm I had was July 6th was probably the biggest I’ve ever seen. It was a WEIRD year and didn’t help that late freezing everyone had.

Also, I forgot to add that I really liked that wax welding method you showed. I would have never thought of that I don't think!

Geez Mike, I haven't set swarm traps out yet, getting ready to prune fruit trees. Hoping to get some new scion apple stock for grafting. Swarm traps will go up in a month here...that will be plenty early here. I like you method of fixing the starter strip to the frames. It seems very secure. I had some starter strips drop in the hot weather last summer. I will try the melted wax fastening this year. Thanks for sharing. Just a note on Layens swarm traps, with the deep frames, there is no comb building below the frames because there are frames to the bottom of a 40L trap. Not really a reason to switch, but just an observation. Thanks Mike, take care, Peace and Love, love the bees!

The season is off and running SCPO!!!

Who is the Joey Rawls guy that you are talking about?😆🤣 Thanks for the plug Mike.

Dream Big brother

We still have 40 out for last year.. I need to go thru them I know there's a few mice took over.. I think starter strips way to go they want to draw comb and are ready to do so .. more room bigger the swarm.. I had monster move into stack of boxes filling 6 deeps with honey and plugged out the swarm trap above it.. had just little tiny brood patch in the center rest was honey.. didn't even have bottom board just stacked on dirt .. I'm sure that was few swarms that joined up ..

Mike I have a question about how much pollen I have in one of my hives. I have multiple frames that one side is almost completely pollen. Is that too much for a two box hive? If so what do I do with it?

MikeI have 1 hive out of 5 that started filling a super with nectar

I’m not on the book of faces, and I don’t see your email, unless it’s on your Facebook? I would like to invite you to my livestream on Saturday afternoon at 4pm. I have no set end time, we’re going to ride it until the wheels fall off! Thank you for your not how to’s! 😊

Hi Mike Wondering if you have any recommendations on what type of back up batteries you get for your go pro; I just received a Hero 9 black. Looking to possibly video our beekeeping experiences this year Jeff in Ontario

50 Ltd no liquid crap not even lemon grass all wax on top of frames keep in ya hives any bee glue keep mix with wax melt paint brush plaster in side box and around entrance do not use starter strip's no need.

Your videos go by too fast!! I’ve got swarm fever bad.