Bait hive etiquette

[Hux70]

Hi all. On our allotment site we currently have about 16 hives between several plot holders. A couple of bait hives have appeared not too far away and belong, apparently to a commercial beekeeper who doesn't have any hives on site. We do get several swarms every year and manage to catch them most of the time and I have had 1 in my own bait hive.
How close would you put a bait hive to other people's hives?

 

[pargyle]

There are no rules about bait hives ... it's not too polite to situate a bait hive in the proximity of someone else's colonies but there's not a lot you can do about it. Practice good swarm control is the best advice ....

 

[Ian123]

What do you mean commercial….whilst I know some commercial guys I don’t know any that want to bother with random swarms. Where has he put the bait hives up or on what property. As pargyle says no rules apply, the guys an idiot if he didn’t put them out of sight though

 

[ldwgs]

Hi all. On our allotment site we currently have about 16 hives between several plot holders. A couple of bait hives have appeared not too far away and belong, apparently to a commercial beekeeper who doesn't have any hives on site. We do get several swarms every year and manage to catch them most of the time and I have had 1 in my own bait hive.
How close would you put a bait hive to other people's hives?

1st thing to check do any allotment holders or their friends/visitors have anaphylaxis, which would prevent you installing hives in site

 

[Rob H]

1st thing to check do any allotment holders or their friends/visitors have anaphylaxis, which would prevent you installing hives in site

Think you've mis-read the post

 

[Erichalfbee]

When I kept bees in The Lake District my field was surrounded by a dry stone wall. One day a bait hive appeared on one of the walls. I simply closed the entrance. I checked it every day and three days later the entrance had been opened so this time I stuck two drawing pins in the wheel to keep it closed. Somebody took it away the following day.

 

[user 20297]

I had a bait hive set up in a remote place to which I have legal access; I wanted to get "wild" bees. What should promptly turn up but a swarm of bright yellow honeybees! I later discovered that somebody's hives had been brought to the shelter of a nearby croft. But as those bees had wasted my bait-hive setting time I decided personal etiquette prevented me from giving them back.

Most people won't have the brass neck to openly try to poach peoples' swarms as with the OP above. But if there are so many hives on an allotment, maybe you should have few bait hives of your own to pre-empt the external ones?

 

[ldwgs]

1st thing to check do any allotment holders or their friends/visitors have anaphylaxis, which would prevent you installing hives in site

whoops sorry

 

[Jimmy]

I see bait hives as more of a facility than a temptation. AFAIK, the presence of a bait hive (or any other suitable swarm destination) doesn't induce swarming.
I'd far rather a swarm from one of my hives ended up in a bait hive than in a chimney or under somebodies eaves.
Additionally, if your beekeeping is reasonably competent then the bait hive will be redundant, surely?

 

[blackcloud]

Additionally, if your beekeeping is reasonably competent then the bait hive will be redundant, surely?

Some experienced beekeepers will admit to losing the odd swarm now and again.
The rest just lie.

 

[pargyle]

Some experienced beekeepers will admit to losing the odd swarm now and again.
The rest just lie.

That's another beekeeping myth ... "I've never lost any swarms" usually means "I didn't notice when they left" !!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Most people won't have the brass neck to openly try to poach peoples' swarms

they are not poaching anything though, are they? unless the beekeeper had their eyes on the colony from the moment they left the hive, they have no 'owner' and are fair game.

 

[user 20297]

I agree. But I'm talking from the OP's point of view. In fact, anyone who interferes with a bait hive placed with qualified permission in the mistaken belief that the owner shouldn't be "poaching" is probably more in the wrong in this frazzled murk of legality/morality.

If you set one up you could argue that it was intended for your own swarms (I would), and if another party was to seal it up I would be very cross with them.

 

[steve1958]

If I saw a bait hive that appeared deliberately placed to catch a swarm from my hives I may be tempted to place something near it that would put the bees off, such as peppermint to mask any swarm attractant.
I definitely wouldn't touch someone else's property

 

[Erichalfbee]

If you set one up you could argue that it was intended for your own swarms (I would), and if another party was to seal it up I would be very cross with them.

It was on my wall.

 

[user 20297]

It was on my wall.

I would have done the same and maybe accidentally let the branch I was trimming off the eucalyptus tree knock the box ever so slightly over. Leaving it on your wall is disgraceful!.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'd have assumed it was a present, taken it home and painted it my favourite colour.

 

[Newbeeneil]

There are no rules about bait hives ... it's not too polite to situate a bait hive in the proximity of someone else's colonies but there's not a lot you can do about it. Practice good swarm control is the best advice ....

I agree, I have bait hives in a mates wood about 100m from a commercial apiary. I know he doesn’t clip his queens as I’ve picked up several prime swarms and know they are his because I can see the scouts coming and going to and from his hives!
I look on my swarm collecting as helping the local community. If they weren’t in my bait boxes they may well be in someone’s chimney.

 

[Sutty]

On your wall is out of order. A squirt of bee-quick inside would have been a fun option

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

On your wall is out of order. A squirt of bee-quick inside would have been a fun option

a moist dog turd in there even funnier