Free DIY Swarm Trap Plans!
Hey there everyone, it's swarm season around here, so we decided to set up some new swarm traps and share the plans with you all! These traps hold 4 frames, and all you need is one piece of 3/4" plywood and some basic tools to make it happen. This blog refers to the plans that are here, so feel free to print them out!
Materials List
3/4" Plywood (48" x 96")
Impact Driver (or drill, I love my impact)
Circular Saw
T-Square
Tape Measure
1 1/2" Screws
Wood Glue
Table Saw (optional, but will make life easier)
1" Spade Bit
8" or 6" screws
Step 1: Make cut #1 using your circular saw 19.5" from the top, from one edge to the other. From there, you can cut out 3 front/backs (A) and 2 sides (D).
Step 2: Make cut #2 mirror the first cut, 19.5" from the last cut, to get 3 more fronts and 2 more sides.
Step 3: Make cut #3 21" from the second cut, this will get you 3 bottoms (B) and the final 2 sides.
Step 4: You can now make the final cuts to get the tops (C), the frame holders (E), and the trap hangers (F).
Step 5: Once you have everything cut, you can start putting the boxes together. For each connection, make sure you run a bead of wood glue along the meeting edges. Start with the front and the sides, putting the sides on the outside of the front. Glue and screw each edge.
Step 6: Now that you have the main box set, screw and glue the bottom to the box.
Step 7: Measure and mark out where the 1" entrance will go. You can either add this on the front or the sides. Depending on where you hang the trap, you may not want the entrance to be right in front of your face when taking the trap down. Use the 1" spade bit to cut an entrance. You can also add some hardware cloth across the entrance if you have some pest problems.
Step 8: Now you can add the frame hangers. This should sit about 1/2" or 5/8" from the top of box to make sure the frames sit below the top and the top fits snugly. Measure and glue/screw these in.
Step 9: Add the trap hanger on the back, centered and sitting about 3" from the bottom (or wherever, as long as it's centered on the long side of the box. Drill a 1" hole using the spade bit that you'll need to hang the trap.
Step 10: Now that you have the hanger on the back, you're ready to add the top! Place 2 screws along the back side. You don't need this to be super tight, and it's very handy to be able to just unscrew one side and swivel the top open to check the trap.
Now you're ready to catch a swarm! Hang that sucker up in a tree, add some drawn out frames, some honey, and some Swarm Commander and let us know if you catch anything!