Is this the worst May since time began...

[LJH]

I am/was! hoping to catch me a swarm this season. I have two hives set up in the garden. A KTBH that I made myself, and a national with the entrance reduced to about 3 or 4 inches. There are a couple of hives about 300 metres or so from where I live. I also have a bait hive in a top secret location (where I KNOW there are different hives about 200 metres away...). I am hoping that someone will make a mistake, which may be my gain. All three baited with old brood comb, a bit of melted wax painted on a couple of frames inside the hive, and lemongrass oil. There was some interest in one of my hives in the garden a couple of weeks ago, and if I'm honest I was quite optimistic.

However, not really seen a bee at all anywhere over the past couple of weeks since the weather went belly up. This must be one of the wettest and coldest Mays ever.

I am still relatively optimistic that I may just tempt one when the weather picks up, but was wondering if anyone has caught or seen any swarms in or around the Wigan area, and if it's just my house that has a permenant black cloud hovering above it! If no swarms about, when do people expect them to be around? Would I be correct in thinking that the next spell of decent weather - if it ever comes - will encourage the bees to swarm?

Thanks in advance

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, around here colonies are taking a weather battering and will be plotting queen cells. We are expecting a "heatwave" from the end of next week according to Sky News so keep that bait hive ready

 

[beecology]

This is underhand beekeeping, tempting away other beeks stocks for your own gain isn't right.

If your bait hives attract bees from another apiary into your own then fair enough, but to set them out close to someone else's bees is wrong.

Put it this way, I would be royally P'd off if someone did this close to my hives

 

[Swarm]

Forecast here is sunny from Wednesday and up to 21 degrees by Saturday.

Agree about the bait hives, let's hope there's nothing sinister lurking in those old frames that can be carried back to the hives of the unsuspecting beekeeper.

 

[Cazza]

This is underhand beekeeping, tempting away other beeks stocks for your own gain isn't right.

If your bait hives attract bees from another apiary into your own then fair enough, but to set them out close to someone else's bees is wrong.

Put it this way, I would be royally P'd off if someone did this close to my hives

Better into someone else's bait hive than down my neighbour's chimney if I have been careless enough to lose a swarm. I would not be p'd off personally.
Cazza

 

[LJH]

This is underhand beekeeping, tempting away other beeks stocks for your own gain isn't right.

If your bait hives attract bees from another apiary into your own then fair enough, but to set them out close to someone else's bees is wrong.

Put it this way, I would be royally P'd off if someone did this close to my hives

That's fine and your opinion, which I fully respect. The bait hive is actually in my parents garden, and the other two are in mine - seems fair enough to me?? Not like they are under a bush covered in leaves at the bottom of his apiary! Therefore I am thinking more along the lines of the quote below...

Better into someone else's bait hive than down my neighbour's chimney if I have been careless enough to lose a swarm. I would not be p'd off personally.
Cazza

 

[LJH]

Well, around here colonies are taking a weather battering and will be plotting queen cells. We are expecting a "heatwave" from the end of next week according to Sky News so keep that bait hive ready

Will do cheers!

 

[beecology]

That's fine and your opinion, which I fully respect. The bait hive is actually in my parents garden, and the other two are in mine - seems fair enough to me?? Not like they are under a bush covered in leaves at the bottom of his apiary! Therefore I am thinking more along the lines of the quote below...

From your 1st post I gathered it was a bit sneaky, but if its on your own garden or a relatives then that isn't quite the same.

Sorry for the confusion

 

[LJH]

From your 1st post I gathered it was a bit sneaky, but if its on your own garden or a relatives then that isn't quite the same.

Sorry for the confusion

Hey no probs - maybe it was the 'top secret location' part that looked sneaky! Even if it was your opinion, I would still respect that anyway

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Better into someone else's bait hive than down my neighbour's chimney if I have been careless enough to lose a swarm. I would not be p'd off personally.
Cazza

I do agree with Cazza. My bees causing chaos in the fabric of a neighbours home is my worst nightmare!

However I have a few bait boxes around my home apiary and if I notice any interest in them that I cannot attribute to my own bees then I do always call the other beekeeper in the village to see if he is aware of his girls making 'plans'! If there were evidence of swarming intent and a swarm arrived before he could perform an AS then I would offer it back and presume he would do the same in return.

It just feels like a neighbourly thing to do

 

[snelgrove]

most of my colonies are in the process of making swarming preps, one or two with a box of honey by the weekend to remove. been a really cold and windy may. hopefully the forcasters rite with a good end to the week.

 

[For want of a better word]

Worst May ever.... according to Sir John Jellicoe after the Battle of Jutland!

Yeghes da

 

[Erichalfbee]

When I lived in Cumbria I kept my bees in a neighbour's field.
One day a bait hive appeared on top of one of the bordering dry stone walls !!
I went over and blocked the entrance.
The next week the entrance had been opened so I blocked it again.
The following day the box disappeared

 

[For want of a better word]

When I lived in Cumbria I kept my bees in a neighbour's field.
One day a bait hive appeared on top of one of the bordering dry stone walls !!
I went over and blocked the entrance.
The next week the entrance had been opened so I blocked it again.
The following day the box disappeared

I would have filled it with a hornets nest!

Yeghes da

 

[LJH]

When I lived in Cumbria I kept my bees in a neighbour's field.
One day a bait hive appeared on top of one of the bordering dry stone walls !!
I went over and blocked the entrance.

Now that IS cheeky!

 

[B+.]

I am/was! hoping to catch me a swarm this season.

Have you thought of offering to help beekeepers in return for a split from one of their hives after the main flow? There are times when I would appreciate some help in the apiary from someone who was willing to learn.
I did that last year and "my apprentice" got a very nice commercial with a daughter from one of my best queens.

 

[Dishmop]

I would have filled it with a hornets nest!

Yeghes da

I would have assumed that somebody had left it there by mistake and remove it to a safe place so it didnt get nicked.

 

[LJH]

Have you thought of offering to help beekeepers in return for a split from one of their hives after the main flow? There are times when I would appreciate some help in the apiary from someone who was willing to learn.
I did that last year and "my apprentice" got a very nice commercial with a daughter from one of my best queens.

Actually, no I hadn't. But it's a very good idea...

Any takers? Wigan and surrounding areas

 

[SixFooter]

I'm not too far from you. I am guessing, in an optimistic kind of way, that there will be very many swarms around here next week when we finally get some blue skies. I collect swarms and have loads of bait hives and Sometimes, I get too many swarms. I'll let you know if that happens

 

[LJH]

I'm not too far from you. I am guessing, in an optimistic kind of way, that there will be very many swarms around here next week when we finally get some blue skies. I collect swarms and have loads of bait hives and Sometimes, I get too many swarms. I'll let you know if that happens

That would be fantastic, thank you.