Any swarms reported in Yorkshire

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What is the best thing to bait hives with?

old brood comb - the older the better, lemon grass oil, essence of sqished queen

 

[Dishmop]

What is the best thing to bait hives with?

Probably money by the tone of the comments here

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Probably money by the tone of the comments here

and you won't need much to garner any interest

 

[thorn]

Seriously though, I have been collecting swarms for 4 years and only once was someone talking about how much the bees may be worth!
In the majority of cases people are very grateful that someone will come, usually short notice, and remove a swarm from their property.

It is also a great chance to educate people about bees and their needs etc.

btw the person who was trying to find out from me how much I made from bees (and therefore how much the swarm was worth) was a builder who lived in a nice big house and called me out on a Bank Holiday and begrudgingly gave me a contribution towards my petrol!

In most cases I have had people in council houses and OAPs try to insist in giving me money for my services!

Yes I am a Yorkshireman but do not charge for my services and just ask for a contribution towards petrol costs!

The swarms will come soon enough and when they do they will probably all come at once!

Most people don't know that a swarm has a value to a beekeeper. Once word gets out to the public at large they'll be phoning round seeing who makes the best offer.
As things stand, they're just too happy to have someone take away what they see as a threat to their safety. Many years ago a swarm landed in my office car park. I found the local society's helpline, called it and someone was there instantly. I was grateful. Now I know better, and think it's more than a bit opportunistic to ask someone to pay for your petrol for driving over to pick up what is, in effect, a bundle of twenty pound notes. That said, if the swarm is in an awkward position, and requires the use of tools and a lot of work, perhaps a seeking a contribution is justifiable.

 

[susbees]

Most people don't know that a swarm has a value to a beekeeper.

Many swarms have no value at all to the beekeeper:
- small casts or even casts full stop
- late season swarms/swarms in poor weather needing a load of sugar
- old queens needing quick replacement
- bad tempered or varroa-ridden
- ones which take several hours to retrieve them from a thorny thicket
- ones where you turn up and the swarm isn't one/isn't there
- ones that abscond as you try and hive them because they have killed the queen after leaving them overnight in a skep because you got home exhausted well after dark
- the many where you get no fuel money at all: swarms twenty or thirty miles away are common here and only going for the big ones is hard to filter if you were to be "business-like" about it
- do you value your time, even at minimum wage?

So "bundle of twenty pound notes". Not. And bear in mind that use of BBKA public liability insurance does not permit selling of swarms. After a brood pattern/disease status and temperament are deemed sound, varroa dealt with and requeened if an older queen then fine....but costs time and money. But there is the public-spirited giving away of swarms to new beekeepers and those who have lost stock too to consider against the bottom line of "valuable (financially) swarms".

 

[BeeJayBee]

Swarm collection is a service, why shouldn't the person who wants to get rid of a swarm make a donation towards fuel costs and time taken? If it was a wasp nest it would cost £50 - £70, paid in advance.

Almost all the swarm collectors I know have been called out to 'confirmed swarms of honey bees' that turned out to be flies, wasps, hover flies etc., which wasted their time and petrol. A fair few have been called out to deal with leftovers from a badly timed swarm collection. I've had to do that too, and wasted almost a whole afternoon travelling - for absolutely nothing.

Almost all the swarms that get collected by BKA members are given, free of charge, to either new beekeepers or somebody who's lost a colony.

 

[Moggett]

What is the best thing to bait hives with?

Melt beeswax and some olive oil together then as it cools mix in some lemongrass oil. Keep in a sealed honey jar.

Put an old dark comb in the bait hive (I also put in a couple of undrawn frames either side of it but you could use more old comb) but otherwise empty. I usually just put 3 frames in. I then smear some bait at the entrance, and smear some on a piece of cardboard placed on top of the frames. Make sure the floor tray is inserted and site the hive in a sunny position. This is the most successful method I've used so far.

I've tried using just lemongrass oil but had no luck with that.

Search the interweb for 'swarm lure recipe', plenty of information on there.

Edit - make sure any old comb used is from a disease free hive!

 

[victor meldrew]

View attachment 8529

Second hive in ,occupied by a prime swarm three or four days ago !
No fancy lures , hive exactly where it is !
VM


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[YorkshireBees]

Most people don't know that a swarm has a value to a beekeeper. Once word gets out to the public at large they'll be phoning round seeing who makes the best offer.
As things stand, they're just too happy to have someone take away what they see as a threat to their safety. Many years ago a swarm landed in my office car park. I found the local society's helpline, called it and someone was there instantly. I was grateful. Now I know better, and think it's more than a bit opportunistic to ask someone to pay for your petrol for driving over to pick up what is, in effect, a bundle of twenty pound notes. That said, if the swarm is in an awkward position, and requires the use of tools and a lot of work, perhaps a seeking a contribution is justifiable.

No I disagree (as had already been said) that a swarm is a bundle of twenty pound notes!
To me it has very little value and nowadays the main / only reason I will collect them when asked is as a responsible beekeeper doing a service for the community. I do NOT think it unreasonable to ask for petrol money as I am already providing my time / equipment for free and generally it involves visiting the property twice, once to start the collection and then late in the evening to collect.
The swarms I collect this year will definitely be all going to the local BKA as I have enough stock and will breed from my own bees.
Swarms only cost money initially and will only repay the next season (in honey) when you have already invested time and money in treating them and building them up.

 

[Les]

View attachment 8529

Second hive in ,occupied by a prime swarm three or four days ago !
No fancy lures , hive exactly where it is !
VM
Was it one of yours - or a donation

 

[victor meldrew]

One of mine I think!
It was last Sunday so haven't examined yet .
I'll wait until I'm sure they won't abscond , they haven't thus far suggesting they are Queen right or at the very least headed up by a virgin although the size suggests a prime swarm
One colony under the oak tree had a couple of sealed Queen cells , Queen not seen but hive heavily populated with bees .
The rest showing no swarm preparations yet!
VM


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[jenkinsbrynmair]

One colony under the oak tree had a couple of sealed Queen cells , VM
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Do you have to lift the tree every time you check them, or can you just manage by peeking through the roots?

Sent from my study with a custard slice in my left hand

 

[victor meldrew]

Do you have to lift the tree every time you check them, or can you just manage by peeking through the roots?

Sent from my study with a custard slice in my left hand

A slice aka this made with duck eggs and whole milk?

View attachment 8530

VM


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[Outlander]

A slice aka this made with duck eggs and whole milk?

View attachment 8530

VM


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I want that

 

[victor meldrew]

Gotta take the missus as well
VM


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[Bitbybit]

How good is the slice?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Gotta take the missus as well
VM


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How good is the slice?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A slice aka this made with duck eggs and whole milk?

View attachment 8530

VM


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No, that's a slice of custard tart I mean one of those things with icing on top (the remains of which are now wedged between letters g,fffffff(sorry!),b and vvvvvv.
Must admit that looks almost as good as one of my mams (feel a visit coming on tomorrow! )

 

[victor meldrew]

What you describe is what is known as a vanilla slice in these parts (probably)
Yes I also love those too
VM


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[pargyle]

I want that

Form a queue - there'll be a rush otherwise !