How far should bait boxes be from a hive

[North End Bees]

So not because the potting shed is on a ley line then?!

was there a reason why you wanted to have further dig at the doswers ?

The point of the laughing emoji was to say it was said jokingly. Usually understood

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I did ask nicely.

What would modern schoolchildren make of those?
The school I was at changed the syllabus just in time for me to escape calculus too.....

Slide rule anyone?

 

[Do224]

Another consideration might be how many bait hives to place in the same location. The perceived wisdom is that multiple bait hives confuse the scouts and ‘split the vote’, so a consensus can’t be reached, resulting in the swarm going elsewhere.

Personally, I’m not convinced this is true. I set six bait hives in my garden last year and got swarm after swarm…I took them down after the sixth swarm arrived. My theory is that more bait hives result in more scouts finding the general area I.e. the garden. I suspect they all go back to their hive and perform the same dance…because all the bait hives are roughly in the same location.

Having witnessed most of the swarms arrive, there can be some confusion when they reach the garden and different scouts try and pull the swarm to different boxes…but then they choose one and dive in.

 

[nicolajanewilkinson]

Depends on what space you have. Mine catch swarms about 30m from the hives, but of course they are never from my colonies. ! I have read about 50- 100m is best.
You have no old comb, so a frame of foundation, and an empty frame, with a couple of drops of lemon grass oil.
Bait hives are best if about 40L ( national BB size), facing south and well off the ground. Mine go on shed roofs.

Can I jump in and ask a question here please ? So the 3ft or 3 mile rule when moving bees … if a bait hive caught a swarm 30-100m from your apiary- how do you go about moving them to join the apiary please ?

 

[Swarm]

Theoretically, you can move them straight there but despite this, a period of time in isolation to assess their health is advised.

 

[Doey]

I've read that you should move them to the new location in the evening after all the flyers have returned and place some foliage lightly in front of the entrance.
I'm sure someone with more experience will be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[nicolajanewilkinson]

Thanks . so what’s all this about you have to move them 3ft a day or 3 miles away then back to new spot …? Is that nonsense ? Or only applies to established colonies ?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It's not nonsense if you think about it. Foragers routinely fly around a mile and a half looking for food. Of course they stay nearer home if there is forage available. If you watch bees on a flow they fly straight out and disappear. they don't orientate in ever increasing circles. They navigate back via landmarks they know so if you relocate the colony double that distance there is little chance they will encounter those landmarks and fly to where they used to live. If you move the hive a mile away they will fly back to where they used to be.
The move should theoretically be for three weeks till the existing foragers die but you can usually get away with less.
It's not written in stone. There are ways round this and it doesn't apply if you are moving them shorter distances the other side of a significant geographical feature.
Swarms on the other hand reset entirely and it's perfectly possible to move a caught swarm or a swarm in a bait hive anywhere near providing you do it the evening they arrive.