capturing a swarm ?

[Donn Buchfinck]

I want to capture a swarm and I have a place I think I can get one.
My question is this,
I built a five frame hive and I have it rigged for a top feeder. do I put the hive out with the swarm lure in it?

I am going to spray sugar water on the frames I have,
they are the plastic wax coated frames.

Thank you,

[Michael Bush]

>I built a five frame hive and I have it rigged for a top feeder. do I put the hive out with the swarm lure in it?

You will have better luck with some old comb. The older the better. Also a box that has had bees in it will help. You'll have even better luck with some kind of swarm lure, either the commercial ones from Brushy Mt or Mann Lake etc. or some Lemongrass essential oil. No need for a feeder in a swarm trap. The feeder won't help at all in getting a swarm to move in. Put it up at least eight feet off of the ground. More would be even better.

>I am going to spray sugar water on the frames I have, they are the plastic wax coated frames.

I don't think it will make any difference. The bees don't tend to like plastic much anyway but in a hive the bees will lick off all of the syrup and either remove the smell of plastic or get used to it. But in a swarm trap it will be irelevant. I'd buy some wax foundation or, better yet, for a swarm trap, just put in some starter strips of wax foundation.