bait hive worked, but bees clustered on outside

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runnerbean

New Bee
Joined
Apr 29, 2012
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Location
cheshire
Hive Type
14x12
Number of Hives
2
Hi all,
my bait hive has successfully attracted a swarm but they are now clustered on one side of it with some interest in the opening. Will they go in on their own accord later this evening or should I 'encourage' them in later?
Many thanks in anticipation of a flood of great advice
 
I would catch them / encourage them in before they go else where. What is the “bait” in the bait hive?
 
Personally I’d catch them either by using that hive or catch them with something else and dump them in that hive. They will go somewhere that is for sure. Best you choose their location than they do!
 
Hi all,
my bait hive has successfully attracted a swarm but they are now clustered on one side of it with some interest in the opening. Will they go in on their own accord later this evening or should I 'encourage' them in later?
Many thanks in anticipation of a flood of great advice

I have exactly the same problem. Spray them with cold water and scrape them off onto some dry cardboard shaped like a dustpan and tip them into the top of the hive. Brush any remaining off the hive and hopefully they will fly in.
 
It may depend on the size of the bait hive to the size of the swarm. A couple of years ago using a Payne's 14x12 nuc, a swarm entered the hive with a big cluster outside for a few days, eventually they all entered and I could remove it to an out apiary. I had one occasion where a swarm entered a bait hive and then decided to move out and stay on the outside of it and build comb.

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