1st scout bees at bait boxes

[Paulypaul]

The Baitinator™ 3000 is getting attention, today.
Anyone else seeing activity at the bait boxes?
View attachment 1000012724.mp4

 

[The Poot]

The Baitinator™ 3000 is getting attention, today.
Anyone else seeing activity at the bait boxes?
View attachment 39408

I haven’t got mine in place yet.

 

[Murox]

I haven’t got mine in place yet.

Me niether. I might think about moving to Surrey, only 6 degrees here today with an east wind.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Me niether. I might think about moving to Surrey, only 6 degrees here today with an east wind.

I’m in Sussex and nothing here yet, my hives are in no hurry to swarm it seems.

 

[ericbeaumont]

activity at the bait boxes?

No, but I haven't got a Baitinator 3000. Amazon? EBay? Please, please help me find one.

 

[Paulypaul]

No, but I haven't got a Baitinator 3000. Amazon? EBay? Please, please help me find one.

The Baitinator™ is a bijou, limited edition apiculture solution. Owned by only a very select few of the most discerning apiculturists.
Historically, only a few were ever made.

Not sure they can be easily picked up from Wish.com or eBay.

 

[Quacking Ducks]

No bees yet today but it’s cloudy and It’s supposed to rain all day. So I doubt I’ll see any. I’ve had bees at my swarm trap for about month and a half but I’ve had a sugar water feeder on the trap, but still no swarms, just robbers. Is it bad to have a feeder on the swarm traps?

 

[ericbeaumont]

bad to have a feeder on the swarm traps?

Might not be bad, but it is of no use and won't persuade a swarm, because when leaving home bees carry enough honey for about three days.

 

[Vanterrier]

With all this talk of drones and scouts and early swarms etc etc I decided to put out a bait nuc today.
It's in the branches of a tree about 10 yards from my apiary around 10 feet up but easily accessed by me and its strapped to a plank which is nailed to the branches so is nice and secure.
I put 5 fames in it, the outer two have new deep foundation, but the centre three have 1.1/2" strips of new foundation to create an open cavity.
I spotted the frames with lemon grass oil.
It's about 300 yards east of where I caught my swarm last June.
Is that all OK or do I need to make any corrections to make it a des-res.
Your advice as usual would be appreciated.
K

 

[Erichalfbee]

Away from your bees is better
Mine goes on the potting shed roof in the garden and never fails.
Having said that I once spotted a huge swarm in a tree next to the hives so I went through all mine and it hadn’t come from any. Other people report swarms moving into empty boxes on their apiary stands.

 

[Mint Bee]

I don't keep bees at home, but usually have 2-3 swarms a year in bait hives I put on a platform 8ft high in an apples tree in the garden. all apiaries (5) have at least one bait hive and generally get a swarm or two each year. Some are my losses, but the evidence suggest most are not. Worth putting boxes out even if long term you don't want to keep the bees - better than having to kill them off when they establish in a chimney, wall space or roof and are not retrievable

 

[Vanterrier]

I would love to attract another swarm from wherever last year's came from but I also aim to increase by doing a split by the nucleus method but using a bought mated Q instead of waiting and worrying over a VQ so if my swarm control/increase plans go awry then hopefully I will catch my own loss before it gets too far.
I do have another two nucs ( one required for the split) so I could set up anther bait nuc further away...
Maybe I should use a dummied down BB for the split and make the third nuc a bait nuc?
K

 

[Eyeman]

Those putting swarm traps out early in the season make sure the entrance is reduced or in some way restricted to prevent nesting birds moving in

 

[Newbeeneil]

Those putting swarm traps out early in the season make sure the entrance is reduced or in some way restricted to prevent nesting birds moving in

Yes I forgot to take a box in over winter and noticed a blue tit at the entrance recently. I’ll leave that one.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Those putting swarm traps out early in the season make sure the entrance is reduced or in some way restricted to prevent nesting birds moving in

just staple a single thin wire across the entrance, keeps the birds out and doesn't interfere with the bees

 

[Martin S]

Went to take a bird box down yesterday to repair the lid, but a bumble bee has decided it likes it as it is.
Trouble is its had bluetits in it every year for the past 11 years.
I will partially inhibit the entrance and put a new box along from the old one with the hope the birds don't want to evict the bees, or look upon them as lunch.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Away from your bees is better
Mine goes on the potting shed roof in the garden and never fails.
Having said that I once spotted a huge swarm in a tree next to the hives so I went through all mine and it hadn’t come from any. Other people report swarms moving into empty boxes on their apiary stands.

There was an old bonfire awaiting ignition when the wind was right about ten meters away from my apiary. It's amazing how it drew swarms. The nearest swarm I've "caught" is one that came in from the South and bivouacked on top of one of the occupied hives.

 

[JamezF]

just staple a single thin wire across the entrance, keeps the birds out and doesn't interfere with the bees

I just drove a nail vertically through the middle of the entrance in mine. Same basic idea.

James

 

[Antipodes]

I just drove a nail vertically through the middle of the entrance in mine. Same basic idea.

James

What are the dimensions of your hive entrances?

 

[JamezF]

What are the dimensions of your hive entrances?

I'm fairly sure they're 38mm diameter circles. From memory I took the "most desirable" entrance area that Seeley suggests, worked out what the diameter would be in millimetres to get a circle with that area, and then chose whichever holesaw I had that was closest. In the UK, 38mm is a relatively common size to have because it matches one of the standard sizes for sink waste pipes.

James