bait hive

[biglongdarren]

i moved a hive of bees today from a really old old hive into a brand new one,i have no old manky frames to place in a bait hive but this old hive i have now has alot of wax and everything else in it from the years and years of use,could i use this with a few new frames in it to try and draw a swarm,would the smell of the box work okay?it was also slighty bigger than the new box and i have a full frame of stores left over,would it be worth placing that in the old hive to try and draw a swarm?
Darren

 

[MuswellMetro]

i moved a hive of bees today from a really old old hive into a brand new one,i have no old manky frames to place in a bait hive but this old hive i have now has alot of wax and everything else in it from the years and years of use,could i use this with a few new frames in it to try and draw a swarm,would the smell of the box work okay?it was also slighty bigger than the new box and i have a full frame of stores left over,would it be worth placing that in the old hive to try and draw a swarm?
Darren

no not the stores, it will cause mayhem as all the local bees will rob it out, it will be worse than a swarm comming in as they will be agressive to other bees and YOU

use a minmum of four brood foundation frames but put at least 2 x two inch holes in the middle two so the bees have contact while in first cluster, i would if you can fill the rest up with at least spare super frames or sticks dipped in wax, the swarm can make wax at a suprisingly fast rate if all 40,000 bees try

 

[Vergilius]

i moved a hive of bees today from a really old old hive into a brand new one,i have no old manky frames to place in a bait hive but this old hive i have now has alot of wax and everything else in it from the years and years of use,could i use this with a few new frames in it to try and draw a swarm,would the smell of the box work okay?it was also slighty bigger than the new box and i have a full frame of stores left over,would it be worth placing that in the old hive to try and draw a swarm?
Darren

No, definitely don't put your "full frame of stores" in the hive - as MM says it will cause mayhem in your apiary with robbing. If you don't need the frame then why not distribute it to one of your less well-supplied colonies? Also, the weather may not continue like this so your colony may need it...

Although an old box full of foundation is not ideal, I am using one as a bait and I have caught a swarm in the past using just that.

Good luck with your swarm luring,

Ben P

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes I think the smell of the old box will work ok, I remember reading somewhere that even when the box has been scorched it helps, others may confirm this, and if correct you can perhaps sterilise the old bb first just in case.

I have set two bait hives this year with a third if the mood takes me, I still have two simpler ply boxes from last year but the ones this year are older used brood boxes as I have more spare kit.

Each bait hive has two old frames from a shook swarm this year with all the old brood cut away and a small amount of comb remaining and the remainder of the bb is filled with 10 wired frames and wax starter strips.

Both are 6 – 8’ off the ground one on a friends office roof at the bottom of his garden this is a great spot with plenty of hives in the area and in the simpler ply bait hive last year in the same location a swarm moved through his garden but then moved on and a week later we got a tiny cast swarm in the bait hive so I have good feeling for this one.

The other bait hive is up a tree at the side of my workshop I have one of my simpler ply ones at the back still up a tree and last year got to the stage of a couple of dozen scout bees checking it out but came to nothing boo.