Building bait box(es)

[bpmurray]

Should bait hives be simply broodboxes with pieces of ply attached, or would it make more sense to build from scratch? I understand that the optimal size is around 40l, so if I use national deep frames, it would imply a width of around 50cm which just doesn't seem right. Have I miscalculated?

 

[alfazer]

One litre is 10x10x10cm.
Forty litres would, for an example, be 50x40x20mm.
A national brood box would be slightly under 40 litres.
I'm not sure what you mean about using national frames?
I would not waste a brood box for this. A few bits of ply would do fine. I know a guys catches swarms every year in old cardboard beer cartons.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

A national brood box would be slightly under 40 litres.
.

but close enough for the bees - I think Seeley found that bees went for a box slightly smaller rather than one slightly larger if that's all the choice they had.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It depends on the size of the swarm too.
I watched lots of scouts explore two nearly adjacent boxes on the field shelter roof next to the apiary. They flew between boxes, sometimes there were lots at one and very few at the other and vice versa. After an hour they made their choice and fetched the rest of the bees into the smaller one.

 

[bpmurray]

Thanks for the correction. I suppose I miscalculated - comes from trying to work it out in my head when I usually use spreadsheets to do calculations.

So a broodbox-sized box of ply or other scrap with a hole and a removable roof is what I need, as described by Tom Seeley's paper.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thanks for the correction. I suppose I miscalculated - comes from trying to work it out in my head when I usually use spreadsheets to do calculations.

So a broodbox-sized box of ply or other scrap with a hole and a removable roof is what I need, as described by Tom Seeley's paper.

yup - most of the swarms I caught have settled in ply boxes about the size of a national deep - doesn't have to be the exact same dimensions as long as the volume, entrance hole etc. are as Seeleys paper or close to.the only dimension I used as a constant was the ability to hold a few national frames.

 

[misterbee82]

In our club we have two experienced people for collecting swarms. The club members call them if they spot a bee swarm.

 

[DerbyBee]

In our club we have two experienced people for collecting swarms. The club members call them if they spot a bee swarm.

Have you added anything productive to this discussion? Have you answered the original question?

"Should bait hives be simply broodboxes with pieces of ply attached, or would it make more sense to build from scratch?"

I have read a few of your posts and they are just pointless off topic replies.

 

[Poly Hive]

Returning swiftly to the topic.

Over the past few years the norm for me is that swarms choose a poly nuc box. There are nats to pick from and sometimes a Lang, but it is the nuc they prefer and not the 6 frame but the 5.

I suppose that the 40 litre research if memory serves was done in the states and our swarms are smaller.

PH

 

[dn170221]

I started with bait boxes 2-3 years ago.
Back then I used a 6 frame poly nuc with eke, two old brood frames, some lemon grass oil dribbled outside it (not on the box) and set on my garage roof. I caught a swarm a year for the first two years. Last year a friend asked to put HIS 6 frame poly nuc with eke on that roof, I also put a home made five frame wooden nuc with no eke on the roof, The first swarm that arrived went for the five frame wooden nuc in preference the the larger 6 frame with eke (circa 40 litres I believe)

Not enough number to be a scientific test but it does show that the 40 litre "rule" doesn't hold 100% true in the UK.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Interesting - I've always used a standard national box but may move to nucs

 

[Plenty of honey]

trapping for the last 7 years, caught many swarms over the years. all my traps are 5 framed nuc boxes. Never an issue. its whats inside that counts!!

 

[bontbee]

And you don't know what kind of real estate the bees have already viewed.

I had a stack of kit comprising 3 BS broods and 2 supers, and a swarm moved in to that, near the top. A couple of days later, another swarm decided that the neighbours upstairs were OK and moved into the lower part of the stack . Then a third decided a nuc box next to the stack was just fine and dandy. So who can tell?! All disease-free, tidy bees - someone did me proud that year!

 

[JWF]

Have you added anything productive to this discussion? Have you answered the original question?

"Should bait hives be simply broodboxes with pieces of ply attached, or would it make more sense to build from scratch?"

I have read a few of your posts and they are just pointless off topic replies.

I think masterbee82 may well be a chatbot

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think masterbee82 may well be a chatbot

well spotted - if you read it carefully you might also find that the username is a bit rude.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think masterbee82 may well be a chatbot

Wow.....I had to look that up.
Yes.........I think you're right
But why? What are they for?
I read somewhere in my google search that chat bots can chat to each other......now THAT is crazy!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

But why? What are they for?

In the good old days before computers, spotty little nerds used to sneak into their bedrooms with a copy of their mam's Grattan catalogue and abuse themselves to their heart's content.
Now, porn is to readily available (apparently) so they just do thinks like this or create computer viruses to satisfy their weird urges

 

[Erichalfbee]

The former is probably healthier for them.

 

[Eyeman]

I build my bait hives from scratch. Once the wood is all cut up ( this can take a couple of hours) then each hive including contents takes 1hr to contruct. Made from 6mm ply means they are light and I made them narrow so they fit under the arm when on a ladder.
Contents are 1 old drawn frame , 4 frames with starter strips, plastic bag with lemon grass oil on a tissue and scrapings of hive debris from other hives sprinkled in the bottom.
All are approx 40L.
Many requests (after my suggestion that it would be better the swarm goes in bait hive than down their chimney) from friends and colleagues for a bait hive in their garden. So now have most of Manchester covered.
Sorry picture has been imported upside down

 

[Olivia9801]

Bait box holesize

Could someone advise me if I am on the right track regarding hole size on my bait boxes.

I have a natural hive and two bait boxes up in my field and garden. I have a hole on the floor level of the bait boxes measuring approx. 9 mm high by 60mm long.

Is this in the correct location on the box as well or is this quite a flexible issue regarding size/location?

Regards