# The Early Days: Swarm Traps, Vented Bottoms, and Hive Stands

*Post 3 of 29 in the AZ Hive series*

The first month went by fast.

By May 10 — four days after the swarm arrived — I had my first swarm trap built. Not because I’d planned to expand. There were more bees living in a tree at my son-in-law’s workplace, and we wanted to give them somewhere better to go.

Six days later, on May 16, I built a vented hive bottom with a pull-out tray. We installed it on May 28 along with ant guards. The ant guards addressed the problem that showed up once you actually have bees. You learn what to fix when something breaks.

By June 18, less than two months in, we had a new hive stand. Ant-proof standoffs under each box.

The next day — June 19 — we moved a captured swarm into one of the hives. Two colonies. Six weeks in. None of this was on the plan, because there was no plan.

A pattern was settling in: notice a problem, learn something new, sketch, build it or buy it, install it. The bees got better housing.

But hardware was only half the equation. I still didn’t know enough about the bees themselves — when to feed, what to look for, what a healthy frame is supposed to look like. The hives were getting better. I needed to catch up.

—

**Next:** *What I Read and Watched While the World Was Closed* — the books and YouTube channels that filled the void of canceled bee club meetings.