When should i put a hive out

[MJB]

Hives have been made and kept in the garage, watched the snow drops come and go with so much Bee activity.

I was thinking today i should take one of the hives out the garage and bait it up but i was wondering if this is too soon?

Thanks

 

[mintmoth]

There probably won't be swarms about yet, but who knows whether the bees always keep a look out for likely spots, so the longer the hive is there the more permanent it appears. It's probably just fancy, but it seems to me bees would be more likely to pick somewhere that's been part of the scenery for a long time, rather than a place that appears a week before they set off in a swarm.

 

[alfazer]

I don't imagine there's such a thing as too soon if the boxes are durable enough to withstand an extra few months of wet weather.
But I also know a guy who just leaves out glossy cardboard beer-can packaging from around May and always catches swarms.

 

[MartinL]

Hives have been made and kept in the garage, I was thinking today i should take one of the hives out the garage and bait it up but i was wondering if this is too soon?

Thanks

Always worth giving it a go.
Define "Made"?
Is that "assembled" or have you cut and built your own?

NB*,
Key thing with bait boxes is the position!

 

[MJB]

Always worth giving it a go.
Define "Made"?
Is that "assembled" or have you cut and built your own?

NB*,
Key thing with bait boxes is the position!

hi all, still very much here, had a swarm in the garden but so high up my tree there was no way to approach it. Ive got what appears to be a lot of scouts in and out of my PolyHive daily so maybe they are checking it out.

 

[Anduril]

hi all, still very much here, had a swarm in the garden but so high up my tree there was no way to approach it. Ive got what appears to be a lot of scouts in and out of my PolyHive daily so maybe they are checking it out.

Sounds promising.

 

[MJB]

i hope so, they land on the front and walk in, come out and do a wiggle for a bit then fly off.

 

[pargyle]

i hope so, they land on the front and walk in, come out and do a wiggle for a bit then fly off.

Classic signs of scout bees .... be ready in the next day or two for some bees !e

 

[MJB]

i was watching them today and they stick their abdomen up in the air circle around and then fly off.

Given the weather, rain. sun, rain, cold etc, does it make much difference? or do they only swarm when its clear and dry?

 

[elite123]

Still, warm, dry day for mine

 

[MJB]

looks like it wasn't my season to attract a swarm 　 believe it is to late now if one comes in. Strange as now theres no bees investigating the hive....

 

[beeno]

We still get swarms in my part of the UK in kids summer hols. Two big ones this week. Still some hope value in there me thinks!

 

[enrico]

looks like it wasn't my season to attract a swarm 　 believe it is to late now if one comes in. Strange as now theres no bees investigating the hive....

My mate in Shropshire has had three in the last two weeks, all prime swarms
E

 

[Gilberdyke John]

We still get swarms in my part of the UK in kids summer hols. Two big ones this week. Still some hope value in there me thinks!

Collected a large swarm from a hedge here on Saturday 1st July

 

[Erichalfbee]

My tree box attracted a swarm yesterday.

 

[Apiarisnt]

My tree box attracted a swarm yesterday.

Same for me. Scouts had been circling on and off for a few days but baitbox inhabited as at yesterday.

Busy weekend ahead making up a new hive and hive stand...

 

[Teemore]

MJB, it is entirely possible that the scout bees you have seen came from hives where the beekeeper undertook some form of swarm management upon realising that thier bees were thinking about swarming. Colonies can easily be built up ready to over winter at this point of the season. Dont ignore the fact that beekeepers regularly over-winter "colonies" in Nucs and mating nucs.

 

[Apiarisnt]

Same for me. Scouts had been circling on and off for a few days but baitbox inhabited as at yesterday.

Busy weekend ahead making up a new hive and hive stand...

My mistake, that must have been the last of the scouts checking out the accomodation last night.

Swarm arrived a few minutes ago: https://youtu.be/cp5HJAAk_ZY

 

[MJB]

My mate in Shropshire has had three in the last two weeks, all prime swarms

E

[emoji106] there's hope! Send him my way [emoji2]


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[Erichalfbee]

Busy weekend ahead making up a new hive and hive stand...

Not for me. They are staying 20feet up. They are on their own