Any scouts at your swarm trap?

[nettle]

Here's a secondary question.
Do scouts defend a prospective site? Seen something like this near both of my bait boxes.

When I had a lot of scouts visiting that nuc last week (alas, no longer ), there was a fair bit of wrestling going on at the entrance. Some bees were being kicked out. I wondered if that means there were scouts from more than one colony, defending their prospective new home?

 

[Sutty]

I've also seen some possible scout conflict

 

[JamezF]

I've also seen some possible scout conflict

If they're not better behaved Akela will take away their woggles.

James

 

[Parsonage Bees]

When I had a lot of scouts visiting that nuc last week (alas, no longer ), there was a fair bit of wrestling going on at the entrance. Some bees were being kicked out. I wondered if that means there were scouts from more than one colony, defending their prospective new home?

I've also seen some possible scout conflict

I'm thinking defensiveness towards me rather than each other. I've had a bee hovering in my face and, in the last week, being tapped and straightforward psychotic attacks!
The later may be a guard from the full size hives furthur down the garden.
. . . . Ben

 

[JamezF]

I have scout bees investigating another of my bait hives this morning. If all goes well that could be the third swarm in a week.

Though the advice as I understood it was that they prefer sites in shade, the two hives I have in a shady position are the ones that they appear to be least interested in. I can't see any other obvious differences between those hives and the others I've put out, but I am not a bee

James

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine are out in full sun. But they are poly

 

[JamezF]

Mine are out in full sun. But they are poly

All mine are poly too.

James

 

[JamezF]

I've just been sent a message by the owner of the land where I put the bait hives on Sunday, one of which now appears to have a swarm in. She's been up to look at the bees (from a distance) and has been filming them I think that counts as a success.

Scouts are continuing to show interest in the second bait hive outside my office window, but not in significant numbers as yet. I'm hoping it's a good sign that they've been coming and going all day though.

James

 

[Do224]

I have scout bees investigating another of my bait hives this morning. If all goes well that could be the third swarm in a week.

Though the advice as I understood it was that they prefer sites in shade, the two hives I have in a shady position are the ones that they appear to be least interested in. I can't see any other obvious differences between those hives and the others I've put out, but I am not a bee

James

I had bees arrive at a trap in full sun last year. I put the qx on as soon as they arrived (it was cloudy at the time). Soon after the sun came out and the bees became really agitated and I had to move them into the shade. I think they would have absconded if it wasn’t for the qx. My traps are made of wood.

 

[jeff33]

Finally managed to deal with the swarm settling in the bait box.... well, I moved it to the quarantine apiary and will open Monday. It was pretty heavy so the 7 frames have probably been used already.

 

[0bee-1]

had a bait hive up in the garden for a while finally had some interest. came home Friday, bees in and out seemed like a lot of scouts,,, Saturday not so ... cold and rain all quiet. Sunday sunny bees busy and expecting a swarm but nothing. Peeked in this evening looks like a small cast probably tennis ball size or bit larger. Hoping they might be scout bees camping out away from main swarm but doubt that now. Problem now is what to do them?

 

[Do224]

I’ve only got two traps up this year. One on the shed roof and one a couple of metres up a cedar tree (both in the garden). The cedar tree trap got filled about a month ago and after a few quiet weeks the shed roof got a swarm yesterday. Moved them to the apiary last night and they’re happily orientating this morning, ready to be transferred into the hive


View attachment IMG_8381.MOV

 

[Do224]

The trap in the cedar tree is still busy with scouts too…


View attachment IMG_8382.MOV

 

[user 20297]

For at least two weeks, I've had a swarm of Buckfasts waiting to be put in a hive after choosing one of my Easipet rabbit hutches. It's got very thin walls, is without proper bee-space dimensions, is about halfway in size between a BS. National deep and a six-frame nuc and contained no foundation, with several " frames" which amounted to a top-bar only. Today, when putting them in their "forever-home", I was surprised and pleased to find no brace-comb and that they had drawn six frames evenly and parallel, two of them using the top bar only, which had no starter strip of any kind.....it's as if they know more about beekeeping than I do.

Generic image:

 

[Do224]

I meant to post this a few weeks ago. Opened up a swarm trap to find wasps building a nest in there. This happened in one of my traps last year too…interestingly the one last year still caught a swarm of bees despite the tennis ball size wasps nest inside…


View attachment IMG_8389.MOV

 

[Ian123]

All mine are poly too.

James

Put the traps in the sun don’t worry about shade!…As to poly or not, it makes no difference bees certainly can’t tell them apart

 

[Do224]

Got the shed roof trap back up today and there were scouts all over it instantly


View attachment IMG_8390.MOV

 

[JamezF]

Put the traps in the sun don’t worry about shade!…As to poly or not, it makes no difference bees certainly can’t tell them apart

I only put some in the shade because as far as I recall that was the recommendation in Seeley's paper on bait hives. They're the ones that seem to have attracted least interest though.

James

 

[Do224]

I only put some in the shade because as far as I recall that was the recommendation in Seeley's paper on bait hives. They're the ones that seem to have attracted least interest though.

James

I think dappled sunlight is ideal. I think my thin plywood traps get too hot if they’re in direct sunlight in the afternoon. I did wonder about putting a reflective sheet over the roof to help keep them cool

 

[Ian123]

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Lemon

I only put some in the shade because as far as I recall that was the recommendation in Seeley's paper on bait hives. They're the ones that seem to have attracted least interest though.

James

I actually think they attract more attention in the sun and as above dappled may be good but we are splitting hairs. Warmth will get the wax or lemon grass oils working and as far as I’m concerned attract more attention.