i might be lucky (swarm trap)

[luap321]

I have 2 polystyrene boxes pet food type 22ltr each lip cut off one bottom cut off the other found a cardboard box just the right size for them to fit the frames fit with the ears poking out the polystyrene box but in the cardboard box packed news paper around to seal gap and put both lids on top with 1 inch of screwed up news paper on top to take up the gap and part of a broken storage box adapted to make a roof ,a inch hole about 3 to 4 inches up from the bottom with a entrance disc in side i but 2or3 drawn super frames and a 14x12 frame with a new sheet of foundation .lavender oil around and in the entrance and lemon grass oil on the frame .
its sat on a unused chicken run about 4ft high next to a variegated bush /tree with pink flowers.
this morning i had a lot of interest and it was humming and lots of tapping noises bees going in and out then i was finishing my floor for my wbc and i thought i heard them leave went round and checked and there was not a bee in sight an hour later there are bees back there seem to be 6 hanging around the they go in maybe another 3 turn up 1 or 2 leave 3 more turn up so there is 6 around the entrance then they go in the box is humming again so im hoping they stay and i can but them in my hive these will be my first bees
dose it sound like they will stay is there any thing else i should do to in cress my chances

 

[Ian123]

It’s not the scout bees you’re trying to trap but a swarm/colony they are reporting back to.
Have you attended a course or have any hands on experience with bees?

 

[luap321]

i have no experience im waiting to hear back from a local club and a friend has asked his brother if i can go with him one afternoon when he does his bees , i know they send scout bees then come and measure up and have a vote to decide if its good enough and move the queen in and start building i believe my box is the right size for them my concerns are they may feel there is not enough ventilation and the box is in the sun i want to make it as attractive as possible to them so i get the queen in and then put them in a hive, but i dont know with out looking how to tell if i have the queen or how many are in the box if i look tonight i could put the queen in a clip and move frames into a hive, but i dont know what to do to keep them from going if they dont have a queen . if they are queen less i would like to still keep them and buy a queen as it would still be cheaper than buying a nuc so for me a more affordable way top get a start

 

[blackcloud]

People think a swarm is queenless often because it's a cast swarm with a virgin queen that may not start laying for weeks.Normally a swarm won't leave without a queen.If you can get an entrance disc with a qx slot on the hole it will hold her in and they won't go.
You need a decent hive or nuc asap if they start building freestyle.
If you can get some worker comb in there you will be able to tell if it's a primary swarm well within a week
Swarms are a great way to get started and you certainly learn fast with them but ultimately you should be looking at requeening anyway as the local gene pool gets stagnated and the quality is a real lottery...

 

[luap321]

People think a swarm is queenless often because it's a cast swarm with a virgin queen that may not start laying for weeks.Normally a swarm won't leavewithout a queen.If you can get an entrance disc with as on the hole it will hold her in and they won't go.
You need a decent hive or nuc asap If they start building freestyle.
If you can get some worker comb in there you will be able to tell if it's a primary swarm well within a week
Swarms are a great way to get started and you certainly learn fast with them but ultimately you should be looking at requeening anyway as the local gene pool gets stagnated and the quality is a real lottery...

i have a entrance disc on the box but i dont know how to tell if the queen has moved in i dont want to shut her out ?
(i have a wbc i just need to nail the new boards on the floor and fix the tin on the roof and a national i need a roof and im making a 14x12 brood for but if they stay i will probably buy one tomorrow i have stood the national next to it with 2 super boxes with 14x12 frames in and a board on top as temporary my grand children are just going so i can crack on (i dont like having my saw bench out when they are here )

 

[blackcloud]

Mine 'help' me - when their parents have left.
They love it.
What you describe is scout bees sniffing around
The colony will arrive in a deafening biblical cloud turning the sky black
They will get her in asap then
the queens pheromone will guide them into the box.

 

[luap321]

they have gone ,but the wbc is finished

and heres a pic of the box /swam trap

i assume i have failed ,but if anyone has any ideas why i would be glad to learn the box is fairly well sealed with just the entrance hole part of me thinks the problem is ,it has lack of ventilation ?

 

[Ian123]

they have gone ,but the wbc is finished
View attachment 36467
and heres a pic of the box /swam trap
View attachment 36468
i assume i have failed ,but if anyone has any ideas why i would be glad to learn the box is fairly well sealed with just the entrance hole part of me thinks the problem is ,it has lack of ventilation ?

Venting is not necessary, none of my bait hives have ever had ventilation.

 

[JamezF]

Possibly they just found somewhere they found more appealing. Could be that they have a preference not to be quite so close to another colony, though one of my bait hives had a swarm turn up this year when there was only about two feet between it and an occupied hive.

I agree about the lack of a need for ventilation. I have none in my bait hives whether they're poly or wood. The only opening is the entrance.

Just leave it out and see what happens. Bees are still swarming.

James