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NorCal Nectar

NorCal Nectar Journal

Raw honey, honey sticks & beekeeping

Buying guides, serving maths, recipes and hive management — written to answer one question at a time, with the sources shown.

1 article · page 1 of 1

Beekeeping & Sustainability

How to Build and Bait a Swarm Trap: Catch Free Bees This Spring

Catching a swarm is the cheapest way to add a colony to your apiary — a single trap can replace a $250 package or a $200 nuc with a few dollars of plywood and a vial of lemongrass oil. This guide covers proven swarm trap dimensions, the right bait combination, exact placement height and direction, when to deploy in spring, and how to transfer caught bees into a permanent hive without losing the queen.

21 min read

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