Any scouts at your swarm trap?

[Do224]

Anybody seeing activity at their bait hives/swarm traps yet? Nothing yet at mine up in Cumbria…

 

[user 6228]

my tree hive is sounding close with drones about and already a decernable fanning roar. The prime swarms from this are usually v large. Now in its 5th year.

 

[JamezF]

I was setting up a bait hive this afternoon and there was interest it in before I'd even finished. I think that was probably a bee looking for food rather than a new home though,.

James

 

[JamezF]

Just been out to empty my father-in-law's grass clippings into the compost heap and on the way back noticed half a dozen bees around the entrance of my home bait hive. They're still checking it out now.

James

 

[Ian123]

Just been out to empty my father-in-law's grass clippings into the compost heap and on the way back noticed half a dozen bees around the entrance of my home bait hive. They're still checking it out now.

James

I think some check out the bait hives for the sake of it…. They’ll smell the wax oils or lure it’s natural, it’s obviously how robbing dead colonies starts.

 

[pargyle]

Nothing much down here.in the way of swarms...there was more interesting in my solar wax melter than the bait hive. I think real forage is a bit thin on the ground around me at present... tree blossom is about 2 weeks behind last year ...the horse chestnuts are usually the first decent flow and they are only just starting to break bud. Sycamores have no leaves even yet.

 

[JamezF]

I think some check out the bait hives for the sake of it…. They’ll smell the wax oils or lure it’s natural, it’s obviously how robbing dead colonies starts.

Entirely possible, though they're still checking it out now. Clearly something about it is very compelling.

James

 

[Fellstoflats]

Some scout activity this afternoon at one of my bait hives- this is set to catch swarms from two very large wild colonies in some dormers on a house in the village.

 

[Mabee]

I set one up last Monday and had almost instant interest from a good number of scouts, it’s been freezing since Saturday though so none since.

 

[joebeewhisperer]

I was setting up a bait hive this afternoon and there was interest it in before I'd even finished. I think that was probably a bee looking for food rather than a new home though,.

James

I think food is something which is overlooked as a lure. I have a friend who runs a circuit of 20-30 traps during the season, driving probably an hour from end to end. He generally catches around 30 swarms and has a video series on YT of how he does it.

His mentor sets boxes in his yard in their permanent position, installs a frame or other feeder, and lets all the bees in his own yard and the neighborhood feast for a day or two. I think he has caught ~20 in a single season, for the price of 20-30lb of sugar.

While these scenarios are not the same, I’ve given advice of feeding inside the bait hive to good results. This assumes it is close enough to monitor, cleanup, avoid ant infestation (if area void of bees). I like to think of it as an open house. You have real estate and you are trying to attract a “buyer”. Do warm cookies help sell houses? I don’t know, but luring the forage scouts from every colony in close range might. If they are balled on a bush discussing all potential locations, having a few bees along talking about those cookies might turn the tide.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A great way of attracting robbers - and of spreading disease.
I wouldn't recommend it to anyone over here.

 

[JamezF]

Yes, I don't think any of the local beekeepers would thank me for providing a mechanism for spreading disease, especially given that EFB is a bit of a problem in my area. Particularly not the local bee inspector who lives less than half a mile away.

Amazingly, despite the heavily overcast and slightly drizzly weather today, bees are still checking out my bait hive. Not in the same numbers as they were yesterday evening, granted. Most of my colonies seem to have declared it a "duvet day".

James

 

[user 6228]

I think some check out the bait hives for the sake of it…. They’ll smell the wax oils or lure it’s natural, it’s obviously how robbing dead colonies starts.

Some bees are just nosy. When you hear them measuring the volume you know its more serious. In poly hives you can hear them pinging off the walls

 

[Karsal]

Last spring/early summer I was fascinated as people started to post on here about scouts appearing at their bait hives and eventually swarms arriving.

I guess ‘swarm season’ starts at different times depending where you are in the country…

It would be really interesting to hear when people start to get activity at their swarm traps and see pictures/vids of what’s going on!

Nothing to report here in north Cumbria as yet…

Think it's been too cold for them this year. My colonies are way behind last years progress by at least a month! I have even had to feed some thin syrup to get them through.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

No activity around bait hives and very few queen cups being built yet. Reproduction is a way off around me. Over here in the east we've had quite a few days of cold northerlies.

 

[Teebeeaitch]

My own hives are heaving with bees and drones a plenty on the wing. One hive swarmed on Thursday, my first ever April swarm. It hung up in the neighbours laurel tree tantalising out of easy reach and she was happy leaving it there. Scout bees from that swarm almost immediately started checking out an empty hive in my garden. They obliged as I watched them move in 48 hours later. Does that count? Wish they did that every time.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Got a text from one of my landlords to say a swarm had taken up residence but when I went to have a look they were just scouts. Quite a few of them tho.
I have almost 30 hives within a mile of this bait hive and I’ve checked all of them in the last two days so pretty sure they aren’t mine!

 

[Buzzo]

South Coast -first action today , 2 traps visited by 5 scouts . hopefully not from my hives.

 

[rossbyjove]

Last spring/early summer I was fascinated as people started to post on here about scouts appearing at their bait hives and eventually swarms arriving.

I guess ‘swarm season’ starts at different times depending where you are in the country…

It would be really interesting to hear when people start to get activity at their swarm traps and see pictures/vids of what’s going on!

Nothing to report here in north Cumbria as yet…

I am on the somerset /wiltshire border and the club I belong to has had one swarm.
The weather has been and remains terrible.
My concern at the moment is the lack of pollen coming in.

 

[Moobee]

South Coast -first action today , 2 traps visited by 5 scouts . hopefully not from my hives.

Whereabouts are you in Sussex?