BAIT HIVES - what's your success rate?

[Tim.S]

Had 3 swarms last year, all casts. Zilch this year so far with 2 bait boxes with lures. Hopefully that is because I have got my hives under a bit better control this year.

 

[Dishmop]

Just out of curiousity,

are there more swarms in the countryside than urban areas?

or vice versa?

 

[kathrynat]

Where I live is rural and I had a swarm move into my spare kit this morning right by my kitchen window, another lovely swarm moved into my bait hive a fortnight ago. I also had two swarms arrive last year. They seem to favour solid floors with very small entrances. I've not had a swarm move into a hive with omf

 

[Bitbybit]

I have a beautiful (to me) bait hive nestled in a tree 150 yards from my hive which my bees sailed past as they swarmed (ungrateful sods!! obviously beauty is in the eye of the beholder).

 

[chalkie]

Set one up last year on top of my shed with old frames of wax and a squashed queen rubbed around the entrance, caught 2 swarms one within 24 hours of placing it there, nothing this year but as yet don't need any.

 

[rockdoc]

3 in two years. I use old bb's with a few old grotty combs dotted around the garden. All three have been large and last years have gone on to produce good queens and good yields. Well worth a go.

 

[Queens59]

Kathrynat - My swarm came into an OMF - lucky really as none of my hives have solid floors... I would be out of luck if my bees had a laptop and could read all the advice on bait hives ...

 

[dpearce4]

Went out to tidy up my front garden today, 3rd swarm in 5 days in the box out the front of the house, neighbours are going to get very annoyed soon.

No idea where they are coming from, but who cares when its bees for free.

Really need to get more kit built.

 

[VEG]

Just about been able to cope with my own bees and splitting this year no need to put any bait hives out lol

 

[MJBee]

100% - 1 bait hive, 1 swarm. Third year running with the same set up.

I didn't replace it as I have more than enough according to SWMBO

 

[Goodwood]

Two last year one to BB withnopen meash floor
One to old wine crate ( ch. Gazin 1990) modified to take 4 frames of foundation and some old comb.
This year two so far but both in BBs and both piddling probably casts.... But now laying well and have been boosted with some frames of brood.
After last years succes with Ch Gazin i have 6-7 old wine cases out this year including Leoville Barton, Baron Philippe, and even Palmer. Sadly bugger all into the deuxieme crus so far in 2013



Praps the bees have seen through my crayoning

 

[Beanwood]

Last year - 1 nuc box, 1 small swarm.

This year 2 casts have taken up residence - one in the same wooden nuc I used last year, the other in a 14x12 solid floored hive - each only had a couple of old frames. (Neither was really supposed to be a bait hive...)

The nuc was in my pile of kit, about 8 inches off the ground, going completely against all conventional wisdom.

Both ignored nice new poly-nucs, but have since been re-homed into them.

 

[Nic Rhodes]

four in bait hives so far this year. Not always as good!

 

[blackcavebees]

Trying not to get too excited, yet. But lot of activity yesterday at bait box on top of garage. Been chucking it down since and I don't want to break my neck on a wet garage roof. If this is another swarm moved in, it will be the second in 3 weeks. Is it the smell of the brood box? I don't use any lures or lemongrass oil or anything. Just a brood box I had swapped out for cleaning as it had been in use 2 years. Sort of glad I hadn't scorched it with the blow torch yet, as was the plan. Watch this space ...

 

[JohnRoss]

none out of 2 last year, none out of four so far this year.

 

[Bucks_Boy]

Went out to tidy up my front garden today, 3rd swarm in 5 days in the box out the front of the house, neighbours are going to get very annoyed soon.

No idea where they are coming from, but who cares when its bees for free.

Really need to get more kit built.

But the neighbours never believe you when you say they are not yours !

After a particularly large swarm ( not mine) spend a while doing laps around a neighbours garden 2 years ago, I moved my one small home hive out to the out apiary with all the others.

Last year, while neighbour was standing at my door buying honey, a huge swarm came up the drive, turned sharp right by the garage and disappeared into a 6 frame nuc box abandoned on top of a domestic oil tank....

Now he believes. Also had a swarm and a cast this year in a bait box on top of oil tank - still no home hive

 

[Toffeesmum]

Green with envy!!!

Nowt, nothing, zilch, zero!!!

Have a 14x12 BB filled with frames, lemon grass oil & some wild comb... been there about 3 weeks... after a browsing sniff by a passing bee, nothing...

then at garden number 2 (90 miles away) a Nuc box as above as well as a friends standard national, which is very used (!!!), but again nothing.

Ah well, take it or leave it I say!!!!

 

[Graham40]

Its all about location really, I've collected a few in bait hives, but not this year so far.
I had a cast come in to my nuc apiary but it liked the fence more than the bait hive sitting next to it... still some persuasion soon sorted that out.. bait hive is still sat next to the fence but its occupied now.

The bees like a space to cluster in as well so when Im fitting out a bait hive I leave space at the outside edges for them to cluster on, also they love old comb.

I remember being at an auction once there were supposedly no bees for sale at it just equipment some of it really old and well... rotten, things were going OK until the auctioneer decided to smack the top of this rickety pile of sticks, yup the bees had chosen the most decrepit and rotten hive to setup home in a real bargin for the guy that had just bought it.

No accounting for taste really as next door was a pristine WBC with new comb....

 

[dpearce4]

But the neighbours never believe you when you say they are not yours !

After a particularly large swarm ( not mine) spend a while doing laps around a neighbours garden 2 years ago, I moved my one small home hive out to the out apiary with all the others.

Last year, while neighbour was standing at my door buying honey, a huge swarm came up the drive, turned sharp right by the garage and disappeared into a 6 frame nuc box abandoned on top of a domestic oil tank....

Now he believes. Also had a swarm and a cast this year in a bait box on top of oil tank - still no home hive

No Bees in my garden anymore, as neighbour got stung last year so moved them out, and they know I did.

 

[Bob Bee]

Had two successes in the same box on the allotment, three weeks apart and one on another site. both the boxes are standard national broods with solid floors, one very old frame covered in propolis and black comb, two or three others with bits of foundation and some empty frames. both over six foot high. No success in my my domestic garden, despite regular scouting. No success in Nuke boxes but last year had a swarm in a cardboard box (that had had foundation delivered in) whilst in the recycling bag.........