I made my first swarm trap in the 20+ years that I have kept bees.

Like a critique and suggestions as to any improvement.

Made a 4 foot above the ground stand, placed a complete deep hive on the
stand. The interior is 3 frames of old fairly ratty drawn comb with two
additional empty frames (no foundation but comb remnants on the edges). A
separator (wood sheet) cuts the space available in the deep to the 5 frames
and the entrance is reduced to about 1 1/2 inches. On the other side of the
separator, inaccessible to the bees, are two frames with some residual honey
(for odor).

I added (from an internet suggestion) a q-tip whose ends are saturated with
lemongrass essential oil placed at the back top of the frames in the five
frame section.

The stand will move very slightly if I push it, otherwise it is stable.

It is located close to a wild apple tree (in blossom), raspberries, mulbery
tree and wild roses, so lots of nectar sources. Water from our 200 foot wide
"creek"  is only 20 feet away. It is on the edge of a stand of brush in full
sun facing south with trees close by but not shading the hive except in
early morning.

One other beekeeper is in the area who has Italian bees in top bar hives. I
see the bees in our yard and one even came to the trap when i was setting it
up.

Bill Truesdell
Bath, Maine

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