Jengles
New Bee
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2023
- Messages
- 26
- Reaction score
- 16
- Location
- Belfast
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 4
Hi all,
I started beekeeping last summer with two nucs which built up to full hives and have made it through winter (touch wood). Obviously two hives isn't enough, and the idea of free bees is appealing, so I'm going to try putting swarm traps out near the apiary.
I've got several spare nucs and hives but no drawn frames to put in them, and I read that swarms don't like boxes full of foundation. I've made foundationless frames, pictured, with wooden strips and fishing wire, and I'm hoping that they'll build comb neatly on these rather than all over the place. Should I fill the swarm traps with them or alternate with foundation?
![20230307_211812.jpg 20230307_211812.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/beekeepingforum/data/attachments/23/23179-aba462b315a0230cd6f883e5cdac57f0.jpg)
I started beekeeping last summer with two nucs which built up to full hives and have made it through winter (touch wood). Obviously two hives isn't enough, and the idea of free bees is appealing, so I'm going to try putting swarm traps out near the apiary.
I've got several spare nucs and hives but no drawn frames to put in them, and I read that swarms don't like boxes full of foundation. I've made foundationless frames, pictured, with wooden strips and fishing wire, and I'm hoping that they'll build comb neatly on these rather than all over the place. Should I fill the swarm traps with them or alternate with foundation?
![20230307_211812.jpg 20230307_211812.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/beekeepingforum/data/attachments/23/23179-aba462b315a0230cd6f883e5cdac57f0.jpg)