2425,
I'll take a shot, with the disclaimer of "I put out my first 2 swarm traps about a week and a half ago. :-D
I used my two 6 frame Nucs that I had my bees in for the first month or so. It's my understanding that the "bee smell" from bees having actually lived there is beneficial.
There's another whole discussion concerning the size of the trap...Some think 30 Liters is optimal, I think the general rule is the bigger the box, the bigger the swarm. Sort of like fishing...the bigger the bait, the bigger the fish.
Apparently most everyone agrees Lemon Grass Oil is the lure of choice. There's a 1000 different ways to apply this (Do a search, Bailey had a good thread on this a few weeks back where many different methods were discussed)
Bailey has a high tech method but you need to knock off a medical supply house and complete a two year college course to pull it off. :-D
The other thing most will agree on is that a piece of old brood comb if very helpful....Some will say it causes an issue with wax moths. But for newbies like us, we have none anyway, so no issue there! LOL!
I think most would agree, in general, that higher is better. However, realize no free bees are worth breaking your neck, so there's a trade off there. I think most try for at least 6 feet, although any height can work from what I understand, I think 10 to 15 is better, if you can safely pull it off.
I also think you want a clear path to the entrance, not a lot of brush or limbs obstructing the way. Also, I want to think I've heard...Not deep into the woods, but more on the edge of a tree line.
As to when...Folks in Louisiana are already putting them out, I'm guessing you should be too far behind us, maybe early March???
That's my best guess....Hopefully, someone who has actually caught a swarm can clarify anywhere that I may have led you astray. :)