Bee Swarm Trap From a Five-Gallon Bucket

Описание: Brainchild that I had last night while trying to think up more time/energy efficient ways of creating lots of swarm traps that work.


My wild bee harvesting methodology is two-fold. First, bait the local bees so that they visit the area. I do this with a feeder jar that is inside of a small hive box


Second, give them lots of real-estate options. This five-gallon bucket was a cheap and easy idea, but will the scouts like it and convince their family to move in when the nectar starts flowing?


It did attract a couple of lookers who examined the contraption most of the day, but it wasn't getting as much attention as some of my other boxes. Then again, those have been out for nearly a week.


I'm starting to think that box/trap diversity is a good thing. Don't stick with one design and one model. Make them all different sizes, different constructions, different internals, and let the bees pick. How would you feel if you went house shopping and the agent took you to 15 identical homes with different street addresses?


I did nothing special to this box at all. No bait, no pheromone, no wax or lemongrass, no pollen cakes, no honey. Just the bucket, and a broken one at that, and it was getting visitors, so I think this idea is worth a shot, and it only costs a five gallon bucket and some wood scraps and screws.