Any scouts at your swarm trap?

[Jeff Buzz]

I had a load of supers on the back of my truck last year ready to go out to the hives.
I decided to have a quick coffee before I went and in 10 mins a swarm had moved into the supers all full of frames on my truck.

Bees....They just don't play by the rules

 

[user 20297]

The bees are still checking out my two, nearly identical bait hives. One doesn't have any old comb, both have lemongrass oil on the top of the rear frame. Both have starter-strips on wired frames.
They're almost certainly, mainly my own bees. Last inspection, I saw drones inside one hive; I'm expecting trouble at t'mill. They need to remember, this is the far north of the UK, they need to pace themselves!


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[Do224]

With the weather being pretty good for the last week or so and the forecast for more of the same….has nobody had a hit on their bait hives yet?? Surely it can’t be far off for those in the south…

 

[Wilco]

Interest at the weekend has dropped off, however a three frame nuc box with foundation only that's never had bees in it got some interest earlier when I left it out.

 

[Mabee]

I put my bait hives out last week, no interest yet but reports of swarms already in Edinburgh and the Borders!

 

[Beagle23]

With the weather being pretty good for the last week or so and the forecast for more of the same….has nobody had a hit on their bait hives yet?? Surely it can’t be far off for those in the south…

I have one out, filled up this morning with a medium sized Buckfast swarm. I had the lure under a cherry tree which blossomed profusely last week and was covered in foragers

 

[Do224]

I have one out, filled up this morning with a medium sized Buckfast swarm. I had the lure under a cherry tree which blossomed profusely last week and was covered in foragers

Fantastic, congrats! Are you going to get it straight back up and go for a second swarm? I found they seem to come like buses…

Was there much scouting prior to the swarm?

 

[Beagle23]

Fantastic, congrats! Are you going to get it straight back up and go for a second swarm? I found they seem to come like buses…

Was there much scouting prior to the swarm?

I've asked on another thread about settle time for the swarm, I don't want to move them too quickly.
Much of my beekeeping equipment (hives and NUCS) were crushed by a falling tree back in the Spring, so I find myself with only one of each that is serviceable.

The scouts were buzzing around last week but I only saw one at a time, I assumed the Lemongrass oil was doing its job, but I didn't expect to attract a swarm so quickly, so I'm very very pleased today

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've asked on another thread about settle time for the swarm, I don't want to move them too quickly.

If you leave them there to orientate that’s where home will be unless of course you are moving them more than three miles away

 

[Beagle23]

If you leave them there to orientate that’s where home will be unless of course you are moving them more than three miles away

About 30 feet in fact. Just have to hope a combination of ladder, bee-filled box and my dodgy ankle don't result in calamity

 

[Erichalfbee]

Then I would definitely move them tonight. Even then you are going to get a few returnees if they arrived this morning

 

[Do224]

I've asked on another thread about settle time for the swarm, I don't want to move them too quickly.
Much of my beekeeping equipment (hives and NUCS) were crushed by a falling tree back in the Spring, so I find myself with only one of each that is serviceable.

The scouts were buzzing around last week but I only saw one at a time, I assumed the Lemongrass oil was doing its job, but I didn't expect to attract a swarm so quickly, so I'm very very pleased today

If you’re able to I’d get a queen excluder over the entrance asap.

If you’re only moving it 30ft you’ll need to move it this evening to it’s permanent location. If you transfer into a hive tomorrow morning you could also put a qx under the bb until Saturday morning (that’s what I would do anyway)

Def get another trap in the same position as soon as you can…!

 

[Beagle23]

Roger, will do, thanks

 

[drdrday]

I've definitely had interest in my bait hive over the last few days. When I inspected my hives last weekend I saw a few drones, but not great numbers yet, and no sign of any swarm prep. However, a few members of my LBKA have already collected swarms in the lovely warm weather we've had down here. Fingers crossed none of my colonies get any ideas before I can get in again and check them this weekend.

 

[Hux70]

I've made my 1st bait hive out of an old commercial BB. Within 24hrs there was about 20 bees checking it out. Fingers crossed

 

[gwt_uk]

I've made my 1st bait hive out of an old commercial BB. Within 24hrs there was about 20 bees checking it out. Fingers crossed

best of luck!

 

[Do224]

I've made my 1st bait hive out of an old commercial BB. Within 24hrs there was about 20 bees checking it out. Fingers crossed

Good timing!

 

[Do224]

First sign of activity at my bait hives today. The forecast is a bit rubbish for the next few days though…


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[Erichalfbee]

Yes. The one in the Ley lines was occupied yesterday
The other has had no interest.

 

[Dodge]

Nothing at my bait hive, not a single scout has been seen. I am only a few hundred meters away from 2 wild colonies, one a des res in the flat roof of a hair salon so and I am aware that it throws out casts after cast.