BAIT HIVES - what's your success rate?

[janetbee]

I have had 2 swarms move into unintentional "bait hives" this year. One was a nuc on a garden seat and the other some poly hive boxes awaiting cleaning-complete with woodpecker holes. I must move these colonies and leave "bait hives in the same places and hope they work again.

 

[Toffeesmum]

Frames in bait hives - quantities???

Quick question on bait hives.... do you fill a hive up with 10-11 frames of foundation for a bait hive, or could you just put in half (just to attract a swarm)??

Reason I ask... have spare bait hive (14x12) in garden (full of frames) but also another spare totally empty hive which I'd like to take to my Mum's garden (shhhh don't tell her!) Can I take half the frames from one to share with other?? What you recon??

I could put some empty frames in the gaps (ie with no foundation on) as although I have the foundation in sealed packets, I don't really want to make them up to go stale in no-one moves in!!

 

[lebouche]

Quick question on bait hives.... do you fill a hive up with 10-11 frames of foundation for a bait hive, or could you just put in half (just to attract a swarm)??

Reason I ask... have spare bait hive (14x12) in garden (full of frames) but also another spare totally empty hive which I'd like to take to my Mum's garden (shhhh don't tell her!) Can I take half the frames from one to share with other?? What you recon??

I could put some empty frames in the gaps (ie with no foundation on) as although I have the foundation in sealed packets, I don't really want to make them up to go stale in no-one moves in!!

Not sure what others think but I put starter strips in my most recent one as I figure I need the scouts to percieve the space. If it's full of foundation then I worry they might not think its large enough.
That and I like the idea of foundationless beekeeping seeing as I'm not in it for money.

 

[Toffeesmum]

That and I like the idea of foundationless beekeeping seeing as I'm not in it for money.

 

[lebouche]

Have to update my comment. Saw a new colony had arrived today in my bait hive.
Same location.
Left a bottle of lemon grass oil open in the hive last week.

So two out in the same spot and two since May the 5th.

 

[Cazza]

Whatever you do, don't put it in a stupid place like I did and fall off a stepladder clutching said hive, now full of bees. Not a pretty sight.
Cazza

 

[milkermel]

I haven't tried, however this morning I was cussing my laziness at not tidying holy gear from last year as it appeared my girls was cleaning around my old frames that had been put to one side to tidy at some point along with the two empty nice. Busy enough that hubby had that "you and your muddels" look! Moved nucs out of dogs and hubbies way, just looked out of window and have A lovely swarm moving in! Not mine as just been through hives this am and all quiet

 

[Illo]

I have two bait hives set up - one a poly nuc and one 14x12 BB on a solid floor. Both have a lure and sometimes a bit of grotty brood comb.

The nuc has plenty of scouts, but no takers as yet.

The 14x12 had a tiny cast move in last Thursday; they were moved into a nuc and relocated, and the bait hive set up again. This afternoon a MONUMENTAL swarm has moved in - goodness knows where from, but they've been sniffing around for a couple of days. Very ginger bees, quite calm. Got some frames in there pronto before they fill the whole thing with brace comb, and will leave them to settle down for a few days before moving them to the out apiary.

So, success rate for this one is two in a week, which is more than enough to make me smile!

LJ

 

[Toffeesmum]

Yayyyyyyyy for Illo!!!

. This afternoon a MONUMENTAL swarm has moved in - goodness knows where from, but they've been sniffing around for a couple of days. Very ginger bees, quite calm.



LJ

Yayyyyyyyy I am so happy for you... question... were you watching activity before they moved in???

I know I should get out more, but during the last 3 afternoons, I've been working outside and my 14x12 bait BB is at eye-level in a raised location in comparison to topography (if that makes sense) and these 3 afternoons have had about 6-10 bees in and out, sniffing, flying in front of the BB before spiralling up and away. A few moments ago, I watched one rubbing her abdomen, grooming on the landing board, as well as wafting into the entrance hole. Any ideas???

Also, when the swarm came, did you see it???

Oh so excited to receive updates!!!

 

[mark s]

1 in 4 yrs not a good ratio

 

[MartinL]

Thought I was about to make it 1 in 5 years last week,
hundherds of em!!!



then nothing

 

[MonseigneurBienvenu]

I tried a nuc bait hive this year, with one old comb, two frames with foundation, and some lemongrass oil; the nuc is about 7ft off the ground; sheltered to the North, some shelter to the North-East, really open to the South with its side. A week later cometh the heat wave, cometh the bees.

Kind regards,

Ana

 

[SixFooter]

I had a stack of nucs outside and a swarm arrived on Sunday and took up residence. They were in 2 of the nucs to start with, so a little confused, but they settled in one by the end of the day. Not massive ( 2 frames of bees) but free, so I wont complain.

 

[milkermel]

3 days after last swarm and it would appear I have more scouts around! First swarm is covering 4 maybe 5 frames

 

[Toffeesmum]

Day 3 (Tues 10th July)

Well today is the 3rd day of, what I am perceiving as, scout behaviour in my bait hive.

I have it positioned in a great location especially in terms of being able to spy on it and I know I really should get out more, but over the day have kept my eye on things and witnessed some funny things. One bee defending the entrance... only letting in one bee for example and not another. Then she came out, wandered about on the landing board, then measured up the entrance hole (which is small), then went in and out etc etc

Yesterday I spied a couple of occasions where two bees came out scrapping, then literally flew away into the distance holding each other.

Also witnessed two bees DEFINATELY communicating together i.e. one landed on front landing board, another bee came from inside, then they faced each other (like kissing) then went nose to tail with each other and rotated a little. All fascinating stuff. Maybe nothing will come of their visits/behaviour, but it's kept me out of bother for 3 days whilst topping up my tan, whoops sorry I meant grafting in the garden!!!!

 

[Illo]

Yayyyyyyyy I am so happy for you... question... were you watching activity before they moved in???

I know I should get out more, but during the last 3 afternoons, I've been working outside and my 14x12 bait BB is at eye-level in a raised location in comparison to topography (if that makes sense) and these 3 afternoons have had about 6-10 bees in and out, sniffing, flying in front of the BB before spiralling up and away. A few moments ago, I watched one rubbing her abdomen, grooming on the landing board, as well as wafting into the entrance hole. Any ideas???

Also, when the swarm came, did you see it???

Oh so excited to receive updates!!!

So...here 's what happened.

The bait hive had been up a couple of weeks, when there was some serious scout activity. First just a few, then gradually more over the period of a few days until there were ten or twelve bees there at once. Then (and irritatingly while I was away with work) my husband said there were about 30 bees hanging around the entrance. What he described didn't sound like scouts to me. They were too confident about where they were going. Sure enough, when I got home, I had a peek and there was a small swarm within. I put them in a nuc and moved them to the out apiary, and reset the bait hive, this time with a very manly brood comb inside that I'd removed from one of the out apiary colonies. That was on Sunday.

On Monday it was very busy, but I assumed robbers after any residual stores in the brood comb. But I did have an inkling that there was something going on as the bait hive at the bottom of the garden was getting quite a lot of attention. I've learned now that they are almost like a swarm barometer, with activity building up for a few days beforehand.

This morning, lots of bee activity. Then at about 1 pm it all stopped. At 2:00 the swarm arrived. I saw the tail end of it - they must have mostly been in by then, and so thought it was another small one. It was only when I went up the ladder (it's on the roof, you see) to check that I heard the noise coming from within, and realised that it was a big one. A cautious look showed that the three frames inside were all covered with bees, as was every interior surface of the 14x12 box and there was a football-sized clump hanging off the crown board. I filled the void with frames of foundation, and will leave them to it for a bit before I move them to the out apiary probably at the weekend.

Next question...how to get them off the roof in one piece. Lessons learned from Cazza (thank you!)... May have to rope the whole contraption down this time!

Is early days, so lets hope they stay, but looking good so far!

LJ

 

[MJBee]

A large swarm arrived in my garden and clustered at the very top of a 70 foot "cedar attica" completely out of reach. The bait hive was about 50 yards away so I refreshed the lemon grass oil and waited.

Lots of interest with bees flying between the cluster and the bait hive but the cluster stayed put and was still there the following day. Checked at regular intervals and sometime between 2 and 3pm they departed and not into the bait hive RATS!!
you win some you lose some.

 

[Jagmn]

Pre lunch swarm

I was sat working in my home office (translation: on a beanbag in the garden) this morning. At about 11:30 I got up to get a glass of water and spotted what looked like a cloud of flies about 6 gardens down from me. Turns out it was a *huge* swarm and they were heading straight for my bait-nuc on top of the shed!

After watching them for about half an hour (lunch break now!) it seemed obvious that they were not satisfied with the size of the nuc and started relaunching and bearding, looking for the next stop. Luckily I was due to take delivery of a second nuc of bees in a week or so and had another hive made up. Hastily grabbing the hive and a step ladder, I plonked it down a few inches from the nuc. The result: a rapid change of accommodation for the swarm!

This being my first experience of a swarm; I was quite pleased that they were high spirited enough to ignore me (clad in t-shirt and shorts). It was quite a daunting sight; there were enough flying bees to fill the entire garden area around the house. I can't imagine what a nonbeek would think seeing a swarm like that coming their way!

Lets hope they stay and manage to ignore their cousins at the bottom of the garden.

 

[Illo]

Hoorah! A thing of great beauty! And well done for being so quick with the bigger box! My bait nuc has been passed up twice in favour of a full size brood box, even by a tiddly cast, which concurs with Seeley's work (read Honeybee Democracy - a cracking read).

The whopper that came to me two days ago has drawn 7 frames of 14x12 and the queen has already laid up a frame. All in 48 hours. Awesome!

 

[DarynWebb]

100% a swarm lure a few frames, never in a 5-6 frame nuc they've always chosen my spare brood and half or a 14x12.