Bait hive success!

[ultreen1]

Was in the middle of putting my washing out to dry and a swarm flys over my head straight to my bait hive!
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My question to you guys and gals is what to do next?
I can't leave it there as it's close to the back entrance to the house.
I want to move them, do I need to move them 3 miles?
Do I wait till eve to transfer them to another hive. The bait hive just has 2 manky combs and one foundation in it.
I'm quite overexcited and can't think straight ATM!
Any advice is greatly appreciated!
Darren

 

[djg]

I'd let them settle and build some more comb and get the brood going before trying to transfer them. Or else they might abscond, if disturbed.

But my guess is that you can move them tonight in the manky hive, before the fliers orientate.

If you put out a nuc on the spot in case any have already got their bearings you could then move it 3ft /day to final destination.

Good luck !

 

[Illo]

congratulations - you must be so chuffed!

Great photos.

 

[Beauhawk]

Lucky boy - how long has the bait hive been out and did you see any reconnaissance in advance of the arrival?

 

[beeno]

Hi ultreen1,
Fantastic that you saw it happening. Treat like a normal swarm. Hive them sevenish tonight then they won't want to go anywhere else. QE on for three days!

 

[ultreen1]

I put it out 2 weeks ago but only noticed bees yesterday. But I wasn't looking as I forgot I put it there!

 

[Swarm]

Where do you want to keep them? I'd seal the hive after all have returned and move to it's new location, then give them a full compliment of frames mid afternoon tomorrow. The manky frames can be worked out with time and any transfer to new hive can be done later on.

edit:
Leave until about 10pm as they will still be returning.

 

[ultreen1]

Thanks for advice, ill move the hive tonight.
beeno, I wouldn't have thought about QX, thanks!
It must have been fate as I made up some frames for a potential AS and I thought might as well knock some more up just incase!

 

[ultreen1]

Swarm, I know I should move them to an isolation apiary but I'm not going to be able to do that till Sunday.
I can't leave them where they are, to close to the back door!
I was planning on moving them to the bottom of the garden down by the other hives until I can take them to my out apiary at the Abby!
I have space in the garden for another hive tho!
Decisions decisions!

 

[keith pierce]

move them this evening to the bottom of the garden and lean a plank of timber at an angle against the hive, so that when the bees take a flight in the morning they see something different and take a new location bearing. there will be a few bussing around the old spot for a while but they will return to the hive.

 

[merlin65]

Nice one, I have a bait have on my shed roof and noticed a few scout bees buzzing around and going in, fingers crossed.

 

[ultreen1]

Thanks all!
I've moved them and set up another bait hive in the same location.
I've put a plank in front to de-orientate (if that's a word). Thanks Keith

 

[Cellectronic]

Excellent news, Congrats.
Now then, I read somewhere that as the bait hive has been colonized it would be worth replacing it with another (empty) bait hive so to entice another swarm as it may have been spotted by scouts from a different colony.
Understandably scouts come from swarms but it maybe they have sent them out from several hives before the swarm occurred. There could be a waiting list for your bait hive !!!

Also Noted , Thats a nuc box ??
They say bait hives should be bigger (40 liters i think) but it just goes to show we can only use our knowledge as a guide, and sometimes we get surprising results from experiments.

 

[ultreen1]

Also Noted , Thats a nuc box ??

No, it was a national hive on a solid floor

 

[oliver90owner]

I'd let them settle and build some more comb and get the brood going

Definitely not that long - they will be building comb from the crownboard (or roof) by tomorrow afternoon. They need foundations in there ASAP.

 

[ultreen1]

Definitely not that long - they will be building comb from the crownboard (or roof) by tomorrow afternoon. They need foundations in there ASAP.

I moved the CB a few inches and pushed in 7 frames with foundation.

I would have left it till 2moz afternoon like swarm suggested but I'm away till Sunday now and don't want to come back to a CB full of hanging comb!
Last time I hived a swarm she was laying by day 3!

 

[ultreen1]

Definitely not that long - they will be building comb from the crownboard (or roof) by tomorrow afternoon. They need foundations in there ASAP.

I moved the CB a few inches and pushed in 7 frames with foundation.

I would have left it till 2moz afternoon like swarm suggested but I'm away till Sunday now and don't want to come back to a CB full of hanging comb!
Last time I hived a swarm she was laying by day 3!

 

[psafloyd]

I put it out 2 weeks ago but only noticed bees yesterday. But I wasn't looking as I forgot I put it there!

Yep. Mine just crept up on me one Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago...

http://youtu.be/_zEvhgkf6oU

 

[keith pierce]

Thanks all!
I've moved them and set up another bait hive in the same location.
I've put a plank in front to de-orientate (if that's a word). Thanks Keith

I would of like the replacement bait hive for a day, just so as not to create confusion