Bait Hives

[blackbrood]

What is the earliest do you put one out and where in the country are you?

 

[hedgerow pete]

my friends put them out from february till late september, so any time you like from now realy

 

[MuswellMetro]

my friends put them out from february till late september, so any time you like from now realy

earliest swarm i have heard of here in London anacdotaly is 1st april but last year it was 24th april, thens all hell broke out around the 14 May being the first warm spell after two weeks of cold restricted inspections


so April through to September


BUT IT DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER

 

[oliver90owner]

I daresay you could leave them out all year if you really wanted - probably lose any comb to waxmoth, but just need a spring-clean, and that's all.

There again, you might watch your colonies and make an educated guess from their development. Not too difficult. I personally would not want a swarm later than about July, but that might depend on how tight you are for colonies.

My start is at my leisure, but depends on the season, so no fixed date at all.

RAB

 

[psafloyd]

Does a bait hive need drawn comb or can you get away with foundation and something that smells alluring, like a box that has housed bees before or essential oils?

 

[PaleoPerson]

Does a bait hive need drawn comb or can you get away with foundation and something that smells alluring, like a box that has housed bees before or essential oils?

I keep a spare hive at an out apiary with various complete frames and foundation. The entrance block moved a bit and a swarm took up residence ( not from one of my hives) . The buggers drew out mixed brood and super frames and filled them with brood.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The buggers drew out mixed brood and super frames and filled them with brood.

Yes they will do that,and if there are no frames they will just build natural comb,best to only use brood frames,avoids that happening.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Does a bait hive need drawn comb or can you get away with foundation and something that smells alluring, like a box that has housed bees before or essential oils?

crap dirty old wax is better but you can also use foundation and lemon grass oil and germanium oil

or try the rinds of lemon and rubbing geraniums leaves ( true geraniums type like cranes bill not pelargoniums)

anything else, well rub in melted beeswax and ALTHOUGH others disagree on this forum if you use foundation Cushman seems to suggest either punching a hole in the two middle foundation sheet or use diagonal cut foundation,

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/swarmreceiver.html

the theory being the new clustered bees like to be in contact with each other rather than separated

 

[beebreeder]

And make sure all the frames have no stores or else it could start a robbng frenzy at certain times of year, a few drops of lemongrass EO helps attract, best thing to do is keep them in their own hive and carry out swarm control and if they are not your bees give the swarm to someone else. No one knows the disease state or temper of a swarm.
kev

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I've just put my first bait hive of the year out yesterday. Realistically I don't expect any swarms for another couple of months but it's better to be safe than sorry in my book.
What's everyone's opinion of using swarm lures in a bait hive?

 

[oliver90owner]

greatbritishhoney,

As an aside, when did your colonies start raising drone brood?

What is the weather like down your way? Here it is so cold that no bees are venturing out, let alone a queen on a mating flight!

RAB

 

[Rosti]

I've just put my first bait hive of the year out yesterday. Realistically I don't expect any swarms for another couple of months but it's better to be safe than sorry in my book.
What's everyone's opinion of using swarm lures in a bait hive?

Last year I put out 5 bait hives and got 5 takes, no bait hive was 'dormant' for more than 2 weeks before a take. I ran May into July. I used pre-drawn foundation with at least one manky old frame of comb (which was removed immediately there was a take). This was supported with a Th0rnes swarm lure (bought a 2 pack - £6 and re-used all year) and lemon grass. Just bought more for this year. My bait hives are 3 miles from my hives aand based in mine and friends gardens around my village!

My bait hives are 14x12 size (I think you need a larger space to be attractive) but had a selection of frame sizes in them. I always leave the middle three frame locations empty (a void) and put them in afterwards. I also swap half the drawn frame for foundation after a take to give them something to do until her majesty comes into lay.

Bait hives are an important part of my strategy because I am determined never to buy a bee and although I may switch to a chosen queen in the future I am only just moving into queen rearing (this will be my first year). I am cautious about deploying bait hives too early, mainly because I dont want my drawn comb trashed by wax moth (April) or mice come to that. I will deploy third week of April. I will stop end of June. I unfortunately lost two colonies this winter. They both appear to have become isolated from stores and fondant but both were last years swarms late catches (end june & early July), I now wonder if there is a link (we had a bad august and I had to keep feeding), may have filled laying space with syrup and reduced winter brood numbers as a result and subsequent critical mass?

 

[Cazza]

I've just put my first bait hive of the year out yesterday. Realistically I don't expect any swarms for another couple of months but it's better to be safe than sorry in my book.
What's everyone's opinion of using swarm lures in a bait hive?

Have used swarm lures but switched to lemongrass last year. Both work.
Cazza

 

[eddiespangle]

How much lemon grass oil do you use and how often do you refresh it?

 

[hedgerow pete]

splash it on as if it was tobasco sauce or worcester sauce. i use two splashes every week. or get a small block of bees wax and rub that on the inside as well

 

[eddiespangle]

Cool - thanks for the info.

 

[Hombre]

splash it on as if it was tobasco sauce or worcester sauce. i use two splashes every week. or get a small block of bees wax and rub that on the inside as well

Really, that much? yum yum.

 

[danro]

I've just received 3 small plastic vials of "swarm lure" (smells like lemon grass...)

So what do I do with them now?

I can smell the lemon grass without removing the lid - I just place a few drops on top of a frame every week or so?

This is my first foray into bait hives so any help advice greatly received.

Danro

 

[oliver90owner]

Err, read the instructions?

Most swarm lures, per se, are simple plastic vials which are porous and give off the pheromone over a period, after that time period they are defunct! If they don't have a lid on them don't open them until you are sure how they are to be used.

RAB

 

[drstitson]

stick them intact in the bait hive (eg by a nail through the loop between cap and body).

when not being used - in the freezer.