How do they do it?

[TrevorGuest]

Trying to keep this my first post as short as possible.
Four years ago my daughter who lives about two minutes walk away from me watched as a swarm entered her house via an air brick under her eves, firmly lodged in the cavity wall with bees entering her house the only remedy was to exterminate them.
This set me thinking about beekeeping again after forty years, so being 65 and retired, three years ago I started building all my own equipment including frames from wood and ply in the garage. First was two five frame national nuc’s to use as bait boxes to catch a swarm. The only purchases I have made is foundation and lemon grass oil. So all set up I observed and read as much as I could about modern bee keeping..
Over the past three years a few bees most days have shown interest in going inside (no more than about three at any one time) but as yet no swarm. Since the 1st June although I keep a eye on the boxes not one bee has been anywhere around or as far as I can ascertain not even in my garden.
How is it I keep reading on this forum people having swarms “so to speak coming out of the woodwork“?
Anyway I hope to have a few years yet to go and live in hope that one day my luck will change.

If it wasn’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all!

 

[Queens59]

Welcome Trevor! Enjoy the forum.

Bait hives can and do work - but not every time...you might not get a swarm for years, and then 2 or 3 in one year.

The weather has been very disruptive this year, with many bees delaying a swarm because of it - and queens failing to mate, and forage being scarse. It will take time - check your local association website. Their swarm collector may have nucs available - or pass a swarm call to you...

Again, welcome and enjoy the variety of replies to follow

 

[enrico]

It also helps to have the bait hive near other known hives, wild or otherwise. By close I dont mean in the garden next door but within flying distance. If you have no close bees then how do you expect to get swarms! Church roofs are often a good place to look for semi wild bees. The best thing is to let it be known that you would like a swarm and your local bka is a good place to start. They will usually try and help you get started again.
E

 

[oliver90owner]

Welcome to the forum, Trevor.

Your bait hives are generally too small - a deep National box is about the right size - yes, lots on here will say they caught a swarm in a nuc box, but that is a fact, about 40l volume is optimum.

Secondly bees are more likely attracted to a cavity with an old empty brood comb, or two, installed.

There are other attributes which also increase your chances - solid floor, swarm lure, elevated position, and others. Ply boxes may not be the best option, either, although that might be a marginal decision on the bees' part!

A smallish opening (50 x 25 mm approx) would suffice and the location might have a bearing and facing south-ish. Your offering has to be the best going for them.

RAB

 

[TrevorGuest]

Many Thanks

Thank you for your advice. I shall take on board all your suggestions and also make contact with a local BKA. Although we have many Bumblebees and Solitary bees in the area it would be nice to see Honey bees back here in quantity. I hope my luck will change, I will keep you posted as to any results. Once more thanks for your prompt advice.

 

[mbc]

My top tip for bait hives is to get them out early, or even permanently, because I'm sure the colonies in an area hold a "memory" of all the likely cavities within the vicinity.

 

[user 6228]

My top tip for bait hives is to get them out early, or even permanently, because I'm sure the colonies in an area hold a "memory" of all the likely cavities within the vicinity.

At one time I would be tempted to say "rubbish" to that but after reading such unlikely things as Bees being able to tell human faces apart and "Sniffer bees" abee voting on nest sites, measuring the the internal cavity volume....

I would rather say... Can you clarify what you mean enough to design an experiment to investigate that?

 

[mbc]

And furthermore, that memory far outlasts the lifespan of any single worker bee.
Doesnt take a genious to design a simple experiment, do swarms go into boxes which have been there longer in preference to boxes which have recently been put out.

 

[oliver90owner]

Always the exception. This one will likely mess up your statistics or the result would not give the 'expected' outcome for a single simple experiment:

http://beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18616

 

[YorkshireBees]

I agree with contacting your local association, there maybe a waiting list for swarms but there are also a lot of swarms in the Doncaster area. I personally have been called about 4 swarms in that area this year so far and have passed all of the calls onto the local swarm co-ordinator as although I used to travel that far to collect swarms in the past I no longer cover that area

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Trevorguest
here's a leaflet by Prof. Tom Seeley on bait hives, doesn't give the why's etc. but it gives the basics on bait hives. I've read his book 'Honeybee Democracy' a fascinating read, i'm just building a couple of bait hives at the moment using his data as a guide.