Do's and Dont's of bait hives

[Cuckmere couple]

bit of fun...

so, i have a few bait hives out two of which have 20-40 bees inspecting.

1 is a poly nuc, the other is an old 4-5 frame wooden nuc.

Old frames inside (no stores so not robbers)

having researched it, there are a few gaps which i cant figure out.

E.g.

One of the assessment criteria scouts use, i believe, is security of box/location.

Question, does this mean, dont go an lift the roof at this stage as theyll consider that unsafe (being disturbed) This would become a Don't!

If this is a 'Dont' then it means checking after dark to see if occupied (meaning a swarm has moved in) would be a Do!

I cant find do's and dont's or a Bait Hives for Dummies....been a bit miffed that have followed all the guidance and have 7 out and still no swarm

 

[Anduril]

For managed it depends how good the beekeeper is with swarm control, if very good you may not get a swarm. Feral hives yes. Your bait hives are too small for prime swarms, you will get casts with virgin queens. Bait hives should be around 40 litres.

 

[Beefriendly]

I cant find do's and dont's or a Bait Hives for Dummies....been a bit miffed that have followed all the guidance and have 7 out and still no swarm

Depends on the density of other beekeepers in your area and how close any of them are to you. In over 10 years of leaving bait hives out in two of my apiaries I've never ever captured a swarm. Nearly every time I move my bees to a different area for a crop of OSR honey and put a bait hive out I capture a swarm.
There are no guarantees.

A quick lift of the roof is highly unlikely to make any difference to a swarms collective decision making.
Of course you can wait until you see bees bring loads of pollen into your bait hive...that's usually a good sign.

 

[Karsal]

For managed it depends how good the beekeeper is with swarm control, if very good you may not get a swarm. Feral hives yes. Your bait hives are too small for prime swarms, you will get casts with virgin queens. Bait hives should be around 40 litres.

I beg to differ. You do get prime swarms in Paynes poly nucs. I currently have three.
Queen laying after two days and fully drawn seven frames in a week. Feeder on with 1:1 syrup after two days.

 

[BMH]

Spoken like a true master baiter!

Is two days long enough for them to empty their stomachs prior to feeding?

I find good size swarms need no feeding whatsoever to draw upwards of 20 deep brood frames in this weather!

 

[Cuckmere couple]

well...think i caught a cast swarm last night in one

could hear them inside the nuc, so, in the dark, put it in the boot of car...and

you've guessed it

they had collected under the nuc not in it....chaos ensued

 

[Cuckmere couple]

For managed it depends how good the beekeeper is with swarm control, if very good you may not get a swarm. Feral hives yes. Your bait hives are too small for prime swarms, you will get casts with virgin queens. Bait hives should be around 40 litres.

thanks...id been told by many that it should be poly nuc size but will put a national box out next time!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

well...think i caught a cast swarm last night in one. Could hear them inside the nuc, so, in the dark, put it in the boot of car...and you've guessed it: they had collected under the nuc not in it....chaos ensued

Fabulous!

thanks...id been told by many that it should be poly nuc size but will put a national box out next time!

I use poly nuc plus extra brood box, to good effect. Hefting is a good way to test occupancy.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Fabulous!



I use poly nuc plus extra brood box, to good effect. Hefting is a good way to test occupancy.

yup...i was a bit casual and it was dark

ended up with 2-3 clumps of bees most of which i got back into poly nuc....will now see if q is there in a day or so

 

[For want of a better word]

Clear cover / crownboard ?

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Clear cover / crownboard ?

yes...not on this poly....ive been making some where they came without but am a couple short

 

[oliver90owner]

well...think i caught a cast swarm last night in one

could hear them inside the nuc, so, in the dark, put it in the boot of car...and

you've guessed it

they had collected under the nuc not in it....chaos ensued

Possibly the advice of ‘too small’ might be appropriate. Box is not big enough for all the bees?

So much for ‘the many’. Take notice of those that give sensible advice.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Possibly the advice of ‘too small’ might be appropriate. Box is not big enough for all the bees?

So much for ‘the many’. Take notice of those that give sensible advice.

yes, thanks...i was under the impression that a national brood box was too big and they wouldn't occupy because of that!

lesson learnt

 

[Eyeman]

Spoken like a true master baiter!

Is two days long enough for them to empty their stomachs prior to feeding?

I find good size swarms need no feeding whatsoever to draw upwards of 20 deep brood frames in this weather!

Read somewhere that the swarm can last for 10 days on the content of their honey stomachs after leaving the parent hive

 

[Anduril]

yes, thanks...i was under the impression that a national brood box was too big and they wouldn't occupy because of that!

lesson learnt

National brood box is 35 litres, a good read on the subject is Honeybee Democracy. As an aside many many years ago as an 18 year old and new to beekeeping I turned up to collect a swarm with a nuc box I had made, only to find the swarm was bigger than my 5 frame nuc box. Managed to collect all of it with the nuc inside a bin bag.

 

[MerryBee]

Tom Seeley advice on bait hives here

Well worth reading

 

[Newbeeneil]

No details Merrybee
I assume you meant this?
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/2653/Bait Hives for Honey Bees.pdf

 

[Uncle Betty]

No details Merrybee
I assume you meant this?
https://ecommons.cornell.edu/bitstream/handle/1813/2653/Bait Hives for Honey Bees.pdf

The word 'here' in M's post is a hotlink.

Good read, that article.

 

[Newbeeneil]

The word 'here' in M's post is a hotlink.

Good read, that article.

Thanks Uncle Betty,
It didn't show up on my pad!
Merrybee with rib me when is see her next

 

[Cuckmere couple]

thanks all...will have a read over a coffee