OMF v solid floor for bait hive

[Popparand]

Is it worth/feasible to change an OMF to solid floor by slipping a sheet of ply underneath the mesh? I am told that a bait hive with a solid floor is likely to be more attractive to a swarm.

 

[Swarm]

Use a solid floor for swarms.

 

[Karsal]

Is it worth/feasible to change an OMF to solid floor by slipping a sheet of ply underneath the mesh? I am told that a bait hive with a solid floor is likely to be more attractive to a swarm.

Always a solid floor. They don't like OMF's. I screw a cover over the outside base of the hive. Once the swarm has moved in I shut the entrance and remove the cover from the bottom of the nuc and leave it inside our garage for 24 hours.
I release them the following evening from my apiary.
Never had one abscond.

 

[theeggman]

I just slip a lump cardboard of the right size in below the frames on top of the mesh. When the swarm is happily resident lift the BB a fraction and remove.

 

[Poly Hive]

My bait hives over the last dozen years have mainly been polys on open floors, and they took swarms pretty much every year so .........? The others have been poly nucs with vents in the floors. Never say never eh.

PH

 

[Dadnlad]

This season I will be mostly using an old broccoli box (sourced for £1 and with 2 coats of masonry inside and out)
Some smelly black brood comb and a dab of thawed squished queen

Have plenty of bees already, just curious if it will work

 

[sean-a]

Some smelly black brood comb and a dab of thawed squished queen

I did read about using a jar of alcohol to dispatch surplus or redundant queens and then using the alcohol as a scent to attract swarms.

 

[Popparand]

I did read about using a jar of alcohol to dispatch surplus or redundant queens and then using the alcohol as a scent to attract swarms.

Any preference - gin, scotch, vodka maybe?

 

[alldigging]

Any preference - gin, scotch, vodka maybe?

iso propyl, but you can't drink that.

 

[Codford]

iso propyl, but you can't drink that.

Actually you can - but you wouldn’t believe the hangover.....

 

[oliver90owner]

... I shut the entrance and remove the cover from the bottom of the nuc ...

I would not recommend anyone to use a plain nuc as a bait hive. They limit the size of any potential colony which may choose that as their new home!

I used to use 6 frame 14 x 12 ‘nucs’ with a ‘half-super’ (modified Dartington carry-box and super) and that combination was quite adequate with 14 x 12 frames suspended from the top.

 

[Anduril]

My bait hives over the last dozen years have mainly been polys on open floors, and they took swarms pretty much every year so .........? The others have been poly nucs with vents in the floors. Never say never eh.

PH

+1 But as wooden bait hives. But my best swarm attractant has been paynes 14x12 poly nucs

 

[Finman]

I did read about using a jar of alcohol to dispatch surplus or redundant queens and then using the alcohol as a scent to attract swarms.

I made a cocktail with 5 queens and there was no reactions by swarms.

Why heck a swarm would be interested about the scent of foreign Queen???

.

 

[masterBK]

I would not recommend anyone to use a plain nuc as a bait hive. They limit the size of any potential colony which may choose that as their new home!

I find secondary swarms (casts) choose 5 comb nucleus hives over larger bait hives (not that I really want these small swarms). However several casts can be united together, supered and later requeened.

 

[maddydog]

Payne's 14*12 poly nuc with the feeder removed. Light and a good internal size. I do seal the mesh with a bit of card and tape.

 

[Finman]

Payne's 14*12 poly nuc with the feeder removed. Light and a good internal size. I do seal the mesh with a bit of card and tape.

It takes less time if you make a solid floor: 4 wooden sticks and a piece of ply board

 

[philipm]

Solid floor and old brood combs it's a good use for old kit. The bees are not fussy what it looks like as long it has enough room. Funny how bait hives in one position seem to attract more swarms than others. I have one spot that gets a swarm every year.

 

[enrico]

Likewise, funny how bees swarm to the same place every year despite them being different bees!
E

 

[Finman]

Likewise, funny how bees swarm to the same place every year despite them being different bees!
E

Yeah. Have hava had this summer cottage 35 years. Every summer most of swarms collect themselves to the same tree and to the same branch.

 

[Beefriendly]

Likewise, funny how bees swarm to the same place every year despite them being different bees!
E

Bit like drone congregation areas occurring in the same place year after year. There are probably topographic clues, visible and understood by swarming bees, that suggests that regular swarm sites are in a favorable direction to head towards and stop off at.