When should I put out the bait hives?

[CliffDale]

Is there any guidance on when we put out our bait hives.

My bees seem very active in the day at the moment. I have not done any inspections so I expect they are just building.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I'd do it now Cliff. Better to have them out early than to miss an early swarm. April swarms are possibly unusual but not unheard of.

 

[Rosti]

Cliff, I use bait hives to bolster numbers and see if I cant improve queen stock for free, I've done this extensively for the last 2 seasons in a planned way, using various friends gardens around the village to space them out. I have had a 100% take to date and combine back to 4 over wintered colonies with the best of the queens as I view them. I have 3 bait hives to deploy this year.

• I have never had a take before 1st week May
• Most takes are at least 2 weeks after I have put the hive in situ
• Swarm season is prob geographically/weather influenced, note I am in N Yorks, that is probably further north than Finman
• I will have bait hives in place no later than mid April, there is a balance because you dont want comb trashed by moth before you get visitors (happened to one box and slowed things down a bit)
• I will add a swarm lure and lemon grass end of April then sit back and watch the freebies roll in (hopefully!)

 

[Mamahilz]

I know about lemon grass, whats a swarm lure?

 

[oliver90owner]

Read this recent thread on the subject. Found it by searching for 'bait hive'.

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8746&highlight=bait+hives

 

[Rosti]

swarm lure = pheromone attractant, you can get them from a number of places on-line. I use them because I go belt and braces, about £3 each in packs of 2 (£6).
That said the fastest take I've had was my first swarm, a heady 2 hours from setting up a new (and my first) hive, unintentional I might add, just seeing how it fitted together and went out shopping. No suit, no course, but then if the bees adopt you it must be a sign! Glad they did.

 

[For want of a better word]

got my bait sausages ready for 1/4/11 added a special organic substance to some of them for this year, last years had garlick extract and were not so successful although the ginseng ones were an immediate hit!

What do you mix into your bait sausages?????

 

[Rosti]

Bait sausages? You have got me there. Since a quick forum search for bait+sausages only threw up your comment in 'what I did in the apiray today' and a google gave nothing useful either, please expand, not come across the concept before. Tx R

 

[For want of a better word]

Bait sausages? You have got me there. Since a quick forum search for bait+sausages only threw up your comment in 'what I did in the apiray today' and a google gave nothing useful either, please expand, not come across the concept before. Tx R

when I find out how to post up pictures I will reveal all !

 

[Headnavigator]

got my bait sausages ready for 1/4/11

Nuff said - note the date!

 

[Rosti]

Oh b*gger! I've been done

That's cheap though - so far in advance

 

[aseeryl]

What to do?

One of my hives - really a nucleus, reduced to 5 frames with dummy board and space filled with padding - died out in the new year after thriving through the cold december - I noticed a large pile of dead bees on the ground outside the entrance. There were signs of dysentery/diarrohea, with sloppy light brown poo stains on the entrance board and inside on some frames when I looked. I assumed it was nosema but I had trickled OA in end December when they looked fine. There was no varroa drop visible but I have read, on the forum, that this itself can precipitate the demise of a weakened colony.

Good stores with 2 frames of capped honey/stored sugar syrup from the autumn. Some is uncapped and now leaking through the OMF since I took the floor out. I have closed the entrance off.

On this topic, I was wondering what to do with this stuff.

I am thinking to use this as a bait hive as is, but would worry about residual disease. I understand that nosema or whatever does not seriously affect a strong colony in the summer season.

Is it necessary to wash down the frames? Will that affect the stores - which may affect any passing swarm? What should I use? I could use the gas torch on the box and try to avoid melting the wax comb.

Or should I dispose of this material and use fresh?

What does the panel think? Any experience?

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

I would like to ask a question on the same subject please...

I put out 10 bait hives a few weeks ago, a little early I know, but had to go in for a tore hernia operation and had post opp orders not to lift anything for heavy for a few weeks.

On Thursday the temp was a lovely 17 degrees so had a walk around to look at the bait hives.
The first one I came to had about 200+ bees flying around it and lots going in and out. As I moved from one bait hive to the next, which are spread all over the property, each and every one had the same amount of bees, all doing the same thing.

What are they doing, just checking the bait hives out? It’s too early to swarm, isn’t it?

Brian.

 

[biglongdarren]

could you use a nuc as a bait hive or would it be too small?

 

[Black Comb]

According to Seeley's research 40 litres is optimum for a new site for a swarm.
(3m above ground).

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I often use nucs as bait hives Darren. Depends on the size of the swarm though - a really big prime swarm could reject a nuc as being too small.

 

[oliver90owner]

I would like to ask a question

Probably robbing them out, and spreading all their maladies around!

 

[aseeryl]

To O90.

That wasn't a question. As far as I can see the drips were ignored and the hive was closed off. I've moved it and hosed down the drippy stuff.

It is a full size WBC but, as I say, dummy board with empty space filled.

I suppose I could make a nuc box.

 

[aseeryl]

To O90O.

That wasn't a question. As far as I can see the drips were ignored and the hive was closed off. I've moved it and hosed down the drippy stuff.

It is a full size WBC but, as I say, dummy board with empty space filled.

I suppose I could make a nuc box.

 

[oliver90owner]

To aseeryl,

I don't know what you are going on about. Perhaps it is a matter of multiple posts on a single thread? My response was clearly to whoever said: I would like to ask a question which, to me, seemed like question needing an answer. So I answered. A very simple answer.