Baited brood box advice

[Jim282]

Hello,

I have a poly BS National brood box with a single frame of drawn comb in. I've set it up as a bait hive to try and attract a swarm. Yesterday it was buzzing with activity for the first time (it's been set for around 3 weeks), so I filled the rest of the box with frames with foundation in and took the temporary floor away to leave the usual mesh floor.

I did not see the queen on a brief inspection - but it was hard to tell.

By the evening, all the bees had gone again. Did I scare them off? Either way, I set the brood box back to how it was (a single frame) and today the bees have come back with interest.

My question is: How long should I leave it before intervening and putting frames in? I don't want to be too eager and scare them off again, but also, I don't want to leave it all too long. Any advice?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well did you actually have a swarm in there?
I move my bait hives the same evening a swarm arrives.

 

[dn170221]

Same here, I move them that evening. They will have drawn a small amount of wild comb the next day maybe 10 cms wide by 8 deep in part of the unused space. Unfortunately it is so soft and small it isn't reused by me. I move to my apiary (more than 3 miles away) and fill the box with frames. I have heard if you have a swarm they can move on once you box them but that hasn't happened to me out of 10-12 swarms I have captured/attracted.
If you have caught a swarm there will be lots of bees in there covering the frame you put in and then over the rest of the box. Did you see many bees?

 

[Jim282]

Well, I am not sure, in hindsight, whether or not I had a complete swarm. It's hard to estimate but I would say there were enough to fill a couple of frames.

They are back today and there seems to be a lot of bees flying around, but I am reluctant to open it up again.

I may let them establish for the day and pop back later on this evening. If they are still in there, then I will put the frames back in.

 

[Wingy]

I did this last year with a bait hive at the mother in laws. She was constantly ringing me saying bees had moved in, hundreds she said. These numbers has increased over a couple of weeks. It was not “the swarm”
When it did arrive she was in the kitchen and described it as sounding like a helicopter landing in the garden and a great black cloud of bees, as they settled she said the hive was almost completely covered and took over an hour for them all to go in.
On this occasion “the swarm” had arrived

 

[drex]

Have a look in late in the evening. If there are still a lot of bees in there at that time, then the swarm has truly moved in. There can be comings and goings during the day for many days before the colony finally moves in

 

[Erichalfbee]

Watch to see if pollen is going in

 

[For want of a better word]

Have a good look to see if they have yellow stripes.... if so probably robbing out!
Glassquilt is helpful... look into hive at night with a red light to see if a swarm has taken up residence.... more usual to fill box with frames?

Get bees inspected for disease... a lot floating around in the South West last season, and you have no idea where the swarm came from

Chons da

 

[Poly Hive]

My bait hives that have been successful have had a full complement of frames in them. Empty ones get ignored I find.

PH