Bee trap: drawings and dimensions, how to do it yourself, instructions

You can expand the apiary in many ways. For this purpose, it is worth buying new families, working on creating layers and breeding queens. It is also permissible to resort to another method - catching swarms. This activity is considered quite difficult, but at the same time very exciting. To achieve success, you should use special traps for bees. Many beekeepers make them with their own hands.

Basic Requirements

Traps for a swarm of bees must meet a number of requirements. These include the following:

1. Tolerate precipitation and not deform under the influence of the wind. It is recommended to make such a design from fiberboard or plywood. These materials are lightweight and durable.
2. Place the bars that are used as a frame inside the trap. Placing these elements outside provokes the accumulation of moisture and leads to premature damage to the walls.
3. Apply a khaki camouflage pattern that includes spots and stripes. This will help hide traps from prying eyes and avoid theft.
4. Make ventilation. In fact, the structure resembles a small hive in which a swarm temporarily lives.
5. Fix frames securely. They should not move when removed from the tree and transported. To do this, a bar should be nailed on top.
6. Place traps 1.5 kilometers from the apiary. Experienced beekeepers note that bees prefer free-standing trees.
7. Make the trap fairly loose. Its volume should be 40-70 liters. Inside it is worth placing 4-8 frames.
8. Give the design a pronounced smell. The fragrance will attract scout bees who will bring it to the family. For this purpose, it is permissible to use lemon balm, propolis or burnt wood. Also, a swarm can attract old black dry land. At the same time, bees react poorly to a recently painted product. They cannot stand the smell of paint, which takes at least a year to weather.
9. Facilitate construction. To protect the structure from precipitation, a film should be placed on the cover. On the sides it needs to be fixed with a stapler.

• To reduce weight, it is permissible to remove the cover. To do this, it is necessary to place horizontal strips between the upper bars of the frame. The bees will be isolated from the upper space. As a result, it will be possible to get a ceiling on which a pillow is placed, and a dense film on top. It should be fixed on the sides.

Varieties of traps

There are many types of bee traps. Beekeepers make structures in the form of pyramids, cones, rectangles. For the purpose of mechanization, hinged covers are used, equipping them with a long cable. When installing such a design on a pole, you can safely shoot a swarm of bees, which is located high on a tree. For beginner beekeepers, a rectangular structure is more suitable.

Drawings and dimensions

No specific blueprints are required to build bee traps. The device includes a container with a shutter and an inlet. Plywood or fiberboard can be used as a valve. This will require a piece that blocks the entrance.

Beekeepers invent various methods of fastening the damper. As a rule, it spins on hinges or rests on a hairpin. To press the structure, install a spring, use a handle in the form of a lever.

It is important to accurately calculate the dimensions of the structure. To catch a large swarm, it is worth using a 40 liter trap. A smaller design will allow you to catch a small swarm. The most common option is medium traps for 5 frames.

At the same time, making a structure of more than 60 liters is inefficient. In this case, it will not be possible to increase the number of bees, and it can be difficult to install the structure on a tree. In addition, a large structure requires a lot of materials.

How to make a DIY bee trap

It's easy to make a design. It is important to choose the right tools and materials. To make a plywood structure, you will need the following:

• plywood;
• nails;
• rails with a section of 20x20 millimeters;
• pliers;
• electric jigsaw;
• hammer.

To assemble a plastic trap, you will need:

• large capacity from the cooler;
• adhesive tape;
• wire;
• knife;
• awl;
• scissors.

To make a plywood trap, you first need to cut the sheet. Fragments are best cut with an electric jigsaw. The assembly of plywood blanks is carried out by joining with nails and rails. All joints must be tight. For the inlet, a slot is made in the front in the form of a notch. Its size should be 100x10 millimeters. It is necessary to make a valve from the bar.

The top panel functions as a roof. It is larger than a box. Loops are used for fixation. Bait is loaded through the roof, which leans to the side. Inside the walls are insulated with foam.Then you need to attach handles or a belt for moving. The bottom and roof should be soaked with drying oil and covered with waterproof material.

You can make a simple bottle trap in just 10 minutes. First you need to cut off the neck with a small part on the side. Then put the bait into the body. The cut element must be turned over and inserted with the neck into the main container. At the joints, holes should be pierced with an awl and sewn with wire. Finally, paint the bottle with water-based paint and tape it to the wood.

Installation Tips

To catch a swarm, you can use different methods. To attract bees to the trap, you should do the following:

1. Grate the inside of the box with lemon balm grass.
2. Cover the notch with propolis. In addition, joints and corners should be treated with propolis solution.
3. Put old frames inside. It is desirable that they are already used in families in the spring. It is permissible to put 1-2 frames of old sushi. The rest must contain foundation.
4. There should be no honey left in the frame, which attracts ants.
5. When installing, make sure there are no ant nests nearby.
6. Set the traps on a strong bough and securely tie to a tree.
7. When working at height, remember the safety rules. Be sure to use a safety belt and fitter's claws.
8. Remove the trap from the tree carefully. In this case, the notch is required to be covered with foam rubber. The trap must be securely tied and lowered on ropes or straps. The procedure should be carried out early in the morning or late in the evening, when all the bees are inside.
9. Inspect traps once a week. If you do this less often, the family will collect a lot of honey. In this case, the mass of the structure will increase significantly.

Proper use of bee traps helps to significantly expand the apiary. At the same time, it is quite possible to make such a design with your own hands.

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