Too early for swarm traps?

[OrchardBees]

I put a bait hive out late on Monday afternoon, and by lunchtime on Tuesday there were about 30 bees checking it out, with half a dozen still there at 5.30 (East Sussex). I really hope I get something, I've had a terrible spring.

 

[BigAshW]

Have two bait hives out so far and a few more to go out soon.
Have a meeting with the local parks manager next Friday as they want me to put some up. Hopefully that will become a regular thing with them.

 

[Karsal]

The colony is continuously making collective decisions about food, water and weather conditions despite being confronted by a world of infinite choices. I think that it is taking an inappropriate anthropomorphic approach to suggest that bees will show hesitancy when being offered a multiplicity of near perfect new homes within a restricted location.

If the problem is that another swarm may hog the best nest if a specific swarm hesitates, so much the better; you get the one swarm and the other will dither less, once it has fewer choices.

Every year I put three swarm traps in our back garden six foot up on the top of our conifer hedge spaced about four yards apart. Two years ago I caught four swarms in the back garden two of them arrived within a couple of hours of each other and populated two seperate boxes four yards apart.
We often see scout bees dragging each other out of the entrances possibly staking their claim to a new home.
After lots of activity over a few weeks at the entrance to a swarm trap all seems to go quiet mid morning and I jokingly said to my wife they had gone to get the rest of their mates. Sure enough lunchtime a swarm arrived as we ate out lunch on the patio. Great spectacle to see but our neighbour was not amused!

 

[Boston Bees]

Every year I put three swarm traps in our back garden six foot up on the top of our conifer hedge spaced about four yards apart. Two years ago I caught four swarms in the back garden two of them arrived within a couple of hours of each other and populated two seperate boxes four yards apart.
We often see scout bees dragging each other out of the entrances possibly staking their claim to a new home.
After lots of activity over a few weeks at the entrance to a swarm trap all seems to go quiet mid morning and I jokingly said to my wife they had gone to get the rest of their mates. Sure enough lunchtime a swarm arrived as we ate out lunch on the patio. Great spectacle to see but our neighbour was not amused!

What's in the traps please Karsal?

 

[Do224]

Had my traps up for a month now and not spotted a single scout. Is it just too early or am I doing something wrong?

 

[Boston Bees]

Had my traps up for a month now and not spotted a single scout. Is it just too early or am I doing something wrong?

My traps have been up for 3 weeks. No bees interested at all. Something, however, is enlarging the entrance of one of the poly nucs being used as a trap. This is pretty bloody annoying. Not 100% sure what is doing it. Maybe a rodent after the old comb. Or a bird looking to nest in it? Hmmm.

 

[user 20297]

Had my traps up for a month now and not spotted a single scout. Is it just too early or am I doing something wrong?

It's the same with me. But we'll need to wait until the bees are actually ready for swarming. With me, they're still building up the colonies, with not a sign of them filling their boxes. I've also not seen any drone brood. This pattern will doubtless be the same throughout my locality; I'm a fair bit north of you, but I think we're "enjoying" the same weather pattern.

 

[Bubbs]

I have had traps out for sometime. Within a few days there were lots of them sniffing around. Now nothing at all, hope it will perk up when the weather does.
I used Swarm Wipes, are they any good? Any other suggestions for bait?

 

[Murox]

I have had traps out for sometime. Within a few days there were lots of them sniffing around. Now nothing at all, hope it will perk up when the weather does.
I used Swarm Wipes, are they any good? Any other suggestions for bait?

Nice crudy old brood comb.

 

[user 819]

Old darkened sterilised brood comb in a non manky stale mouldy state.

 

[Karsal]

What's in the traps please Karsal?

Sorry missed the reply.
I use old brood comb in some and always lemongrass oil on a frame just inside the entrance.
I also fill one with new frames and wax foundation and again lemongrass oil.
Makes little diifference the choose both but the main thing is always close up the OMF. Never had one swarm into a hive with an OMF

 

[Ian123]

I was sent this via a friend today from a flow hive owner asking if I knew any who wanted to buy a swarm evidently last year they had 5. Judging form the size I’d say there’s another call in a week,

 

[Antipodes]

I was sent this via a friend today from a flow hive owner asking if I knew any who wanted to buy a swarm evidently last year they had 5. Judging form the size I’d say there’s another call in a week,

Yeah, that's a good one.

 

[OrchardBees]

I put a bait hive out late on Monday afternoon, and by lunchtime on Tuesday there were about 30 bees checking it out, with half a dozen still there at 5.30 (East Sussex). I really hope I get something, I've had a terrible spring.

Yesterday was the first day of good weather since then, and I got this!

 

[Antipodes]

Yesterday was the first day of good weather since then, and I got this!

Well done you! Excellent...

 

[OrchardBees]

Well done you! Excellent...

Thank you. I really needed them, I've only got a pitiful number of bees in a nuc at the moment. I might actually have something good to take into the winter now!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I was checking out a trap box I knocked up. Basically brood box dimensions. No activity at all but lots of bees in the air. What the heck?! I had almost walked into a cast swarm (missed a cell D'Oh!) right under the box, completely ignoring it. On the way to get the water spray, cardboard box etc., walked past my other trap that is a Paynes 6-frame nuc, sealed bottom, extra brood box. Completely buzzing. I thought of chancing it just for the joy of it all but chickened out. Anyway, a decent controlled test: my successful traps have always been on the tall side so the box is the wrong shape. Will be hard to rebuild...

<ADD>Turn it on its side, genius!</ADD>

 

[citrus]

Every year I put three swarm traps in our back garden six foot up on the top of our conifer hedge spaced about four yards apart. Two years ago I caught four swarms in the back garden two of them arrived within a couple of hours of each other and populated two seperate boxes four yards apart.
We often see scout bees dragging each other out of the entrances possibly staking their claim to a new home.
After lots of activity over a few weeks at the entrance to a swarm trap all seems to go quiet mid morning and I jokingly said to my wife they had gone to get the rest of their mates. Sure enough lunchtime a swarm arrived as we ate out lunch on the patio. Great spectacle to see but our neighbour was not amused!

The apiarist in his blog suggested that they should be space 500m apart .... so interesting yours are so close and worked !

 

[Ian123]

The apiarist in his blog suggested that they should be space 500m apart .... so interesting yours are so close and worked !

Bait hives in your own apiary work I find the addition of a lure works better if your attempting to catch your own. A hundred yards down the track appears to be slightly more attractive to your own swarms though. It’s quite nice to walk or drive past them on the way in and see some activity. It’s a heads up on what to expect. For those with bait hives out and worried they’ve not caught it’s very slow to date purely down to the weather. The same happened with the very hot year/drought a few years ago. Most just totally switched off any thought of swarming with many reporting few that season. Ian

 

[Do224]

Anybody having success with their swarm traps now the weather has warmed up? I’ve not had a sniff at mine although noticed a few more bees around the garden this past week. I’ll be renewing the bait tomorrow so fingers crossed for some activity soon...