bait hive with a fish poly box

[fox403]

ok header says it all i am going down the line of makeing few poly fish transport boxs which i can get in a few sizes all free,,think these will be ideal as very light weight,have a removeable lids,think il go for a size thats as close to a brood-box as poss only thing i need work out is how to attach sum wood frames along top edge so as to hang the 14x12 frames,,anyone used a fish box ?

 

[Hombre]

If you could skin the inner surfaces of the box with epoxy so that your charges aren't able to eat themselves out of house and home, it might be worthwhile.

Otherwise the fish boxes are too soft to last for long. The naughty bees will try out their DIY skills without asking you first.

OOPs. Bait hives, I stand corrected, no problem at all as long as you don't intend to keep the bees in them for long. Sorry

 

[winmag270]

are these new fish boxes or "used"?

if used and anything like the ones i've seen kicking around the dock / harbour at lowestoft, they may be a bit too "ripe" for bees......

 

[johnandyrob]

Are they not the ones that tropical fish are delivered to pet shop in their is a picture on the other thread with same title

 

[Finman]

.
Swarm catchers in USA say that plastic boxes do not work.

 

[fox403]

Yes same ones get chucked out everyweek and I think I will give them a new home! Bees not have chance to eat though them chuck them away after swarms

Sent from my MB525 using Tapatalk

 

[Finman]

.
Swarm catchers in USA say that plastic boxes do not work.

I meant to say that swarms do not stop into plastic box.

 

[richy]

I meant to say that swarms do not stop into plastic box.

not always true i have seen a post where someone has managed to use a fish box as a bait hive and it worked

 

[richy]

this is the post

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9856&highlight=fish+boxes

 

[Bucks_Boy]

anyone used a fish box ?

Yes

I purchased a couple off E**Y clean and unused, gave them a coat of left- over weathershield inside and out and "no nail" ed a couple of runners to hold frames.

1 inch diameter round hole cut in the end with a Stanley knife.

Baited with two old black combs from a baily comb change with an empty frame in between.

One was put in an old apple tree, 20 yards from 3 busy hives, one was in a conifer, similar distance from a different apiary.

Saw a swarm fly directly over the conifer one but the Apple one caught a nice prime swarm of very black bees that 2 days after they took up residence had drawn out the empty frame and 4 more wild combs.

given I only paid I think £2 or £3 each including postage and they are still servicable for this year, you have little to lose trying...