cstroud
New Bee
had some success with a bait hive! I set up a few of these this year and last Friday when I visited one which had I had put there about 4 weeks before I found it had worked and even though the grass had grown up in front of the hive entrance the bees had moved in!!
The bait hive was situated approx 100m from a colony which lives in a hollow oak tree. I am pretty certain the colony which moved in, is from that source. I moved the bees (which are a dark strain) in the evening and had a look at them over the weekend. Unfortunately I did cut out some of the wild comb they had built (I had only put two old frames in the bait hive- and I think the swarm had been there at least a couple of weeks). The bees stayed put despite me taking their wild comb away and have started on the frames of foundation I gave them- we have a good flow here at the moment.
I hav'nt seen the queen yet, but am looking forward to spotting her, and seeing how they do- quite amusing to see them getting used to the manmade hive after starting out in the oak tree!
The bait hive was situated approx 100m from a colony which lives in a hollow oak tree. I am pretty certain the colony which moved in, is from that source. I moved the bees (which are a dark strain) in the evening and had a look at them over the weekend. Unfortunately I did cut out some of the wild comb they had built (I had only put two old frames in the bait hive- and I think the swarm had been there at least a couple of weeks). The bees stayed put despite me taking their wild comb away and have started on the frames of foundation I gave them- we have a good flow here at the moment.
I hav'nt seen the queen yet, but am looking forward to spotting her, and seeing how they do- quite amusing to see them getting used to the manmade hive after starting out in the oak tree!