Bait Hive

[Eddie]

I have a spare hive that I would like to put out as a bait hive.

I have a used brood box and used frames that I feel may be more attractive for any bees looking for a new home.

If I put the bait hive out now

1) Is it too early?

2) Would a mouse guard be a good idea?

3) Is there a high risk of wax moth infestation?

All opinions welcome as usual.

 

[hedgerow pete]

lets start this with my ideas,
I know of several people who have a bait hive set up all year
mouse gaurd yes i would
one or two frames proberly but would not bother with any more, i prefer starter strips rather than fully drawn out comb. there is always wax moth about you takes your chances and yer pays your price. lastly i always used to put a couple of drops of leamon grass oil inside as an atractant

 

[Eddie]

Hi Pete. Have your bait hives ever produced results?

 

[hedgerow pete]

when i used to use them we would have one set up at an aipery and would have several other s set up either near oil seed rape or apple and pear blossoms, yes we would get from a possible 6 bait hives an average of 4 take per season then we would look at what we have collected some time yes they were excellent swarms but some times we would kill them off or merge them into another small hive, dont belive that you can set a hive up and bees will come to you i have seen them fly past a bait hive and into a fridge

 

[hedgerow pete]

i used to set them up where ever the bees are ie blossom or osr, but i have never personaly do well from them , i dont bother with them personaly myself my newbie might set one up for fun, but i have decided that the bees i have and the supplier i use are exactly what i like and i dont want another sort i bee, i have been very priverilged to be able to have played with most types of bees, and what i like i am sure would be completly differant too most other beeks,

please have a go, i would use a brood box with two or three frames empty no foundation set it where ever you like out in the country side near a tree, in the city by a canal at my allotments, if you can stick it up high brilliant but if not dont worry we never did al we did was a hive on top of a concrete block at the edge of a field with a lid and inside we put four drops of lemongrass oil, and left it alone we would look at it maybe once a month untill september and then either move it somewhere else or we would collect the swarm and have look at what we have got