Now What?  How Do We Go About Trapping Swarms?

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Thus far, we've given you an oversight into how these traps work, in a nutshell:

hang the traps eight feet off the ground in a                 sheltered area (fence row, ravine)

hang them on a large tree (driving a nail into the           tree or tie the trap to the tree with baling twine)

watch and wait for a swarm to take up residence

then at night, plug the hole with a paper towel,             lift the trap down from the tree, and take it to               your bee yard.

the next day, smoke the swarm trap and move              the frames into a conventional hive

Pictured on the left is a wood-pulp swarm trap.  The twine secures the lid from being blown off by the wind.

Below is a waxed cardboard nuc box.  The twine holds the box onto the platform.

Both swarm traps are set on a platform made of scrap lumber. The platform is hanging on a nail driven into trees, about 8 feet off the ground.