Nuke box?

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whitey

New Bee
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Hi,

A beekeeper gave me a nuke box and said to put it at the bottom of my garden and leave it for a few weeks and bees will move into it, as he has 15 hives going and has never bought any bees. I did as he said and bees and wasps are robbing the honey from it has he said they would do, what is the difference between these wild bees and the brown bees that are for sale and that most beekeeps seem to keep?
 
Leaving a nuc with honey in it and no bees, thus encouraging robbing is a really good way to spread disease. A bait hive should have some old comb, a bit of lemongrass oil (or swarm lure) and that's it. If you leave honey in there, you will just get robbing, not a swarm.

"Feral" bees in most cases are not feral and are identical to the bees you could buy from a supplier. Most of the robbing will be being done by managed bees from a beekeeper up the road.
 
I have been looking at the box and it seems to be mostly wasps that are robbing it, would it be a better idea to buy a coloney at this time of year? the keeper said this time of year wasn't a good time to buy and setup, but i could try a nuk box... my wife and I are only learning and going to meetings.
 
I have been looking at the box and it seems to be mostly wasps that are robbing it, would it be a better idea to buy a coloney at this time of year? the keeper said this time of year wasn't a good time to buy and setup, but i could try a nuk box... my wife and I are only learning and going to meetings.

seems your beekeeper has rather odd views

Most swarms occur from may to june plus a month either side for the early and late so it is getting late for swarms, unless a beekeeper does somethig like forget to put extra honey supers on ( no room, lots of food=swarm).

but saying that the earliest swarm i have heard is 1st april and latest mid september but that is rare

i would plan for a late may start, reading up a good bee book by hooper or cramp,

and asking questions on this forum. then buy a nuc of bees not wait for a baited hive to get a swarm ( 10% chance)

Have you a hive, what type, what size, do you need 14x12 frames in your area, how are you going to extract the honey..and to stop swarming you will need to learn swarm control methods...and that means are equipment in excess of the number of hives

i run just three 14x12 hives, but i have five 14x12 brood boxes, and 20 supers and a few nucs....and this year i ran out due to so many QC and one swarm

so work out what you need...and amaned your location, UK is a big place and bees behave differently in different climates...mine in london are still collection garden honey in late september while in the north, they are going in winter mode...my bees had never seen snow until last year...

BEES

the black bees are mongrels crosses of old bristish black bees and varoius european bees from italy or eastern europe. the british bee almost died out in southern britian in victorian times
 
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I agree with Muswell and I think you would be very lucky to get a 'take' this late in the swarm season

The advice given by your 'mentor' is flawed (IMO). Nuke box too small to be an effective bait hive, look else where on here for several threads about bait hives. Using honey as a bait is not a responsible approach as in prev posts.

I too have never bought bees, 4 bait hive takes this year. Old floor, 14x12 brood box, manky old drawn and laid in comb, pheromone attractant and lemon grass oil.

A decent swarm would fill a nuke and abscond as soon as look at you!
 
Hi,

A beekeeper gave me a nuke box and said to put it at the bottom of my garden and leave it for a few weeks and bees will move into it, as he has 15 hives going and has never bought any bees. I did as he said and bees and wasps are robbing the honey from it has he said they would do, what is the difference between these wild bees and the brown bees that are for sale and that most beekeeps seem to keep?
Isn't this threads' title misspelled ?, Shouldn't it read Duke box ?
This would put you ahead of the beehaus :leaving:

John Wilkinson
 
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