Swarm lure

[Savorys]

Should I be setting up swarm lures / traps now?
I'm thinking of siting empty hives around my garden, and 'baiting' them with an appropriate lure.
These will act as a 'back stop' to capture those swarms that get away!
I seek advice on timing, and also a recomended lure.
Regards
Ian

[Chrisbarlow]

this is weather dependant, you dont get swamrs till mid to late April at the earliest where I am however if the weather is great and I suspect their will be some very strong over wintered colonies this year then you might get some earlier swarms. Who knows.

As for a lure, the best lure by far IMO is black old comb, however any comb will do.

I have heard of people using lemon grass oil but I have never used this so cant comment

and there are commerical lures available but again I have never used these.

[Savorys]

Many thanks for your advice.
I was thinking that siting the 'baited hives' now, would allow local bees to 'discover' the traps, and map them for future reference.
Ian

[Chrisbarlow]

that would work well. your prepared then regardless of when the bees in the area start to swarm, so it doesnt matter later on if you dont have time or something comes up. remember thought to check them periodically.

[MickBBKA]

I have capped drone brood in the correct place in my garden colony. Chances are they will raise QC's in the very near future. Never seen this before as its never been this warm in Spring. Mid April swarms very likely I think this year.

[AdamD]

In my part of the world, setting up bait boxes is probably too early. However they shouldn't come to any harm if set up now. I have not bought in anything to encourage bees to visit a bait box. The only time I have set up boxes with some old comb, it seems that the wrong insects find the box attractive and bees don't arrive! However I have had a couple of swarms arrive when I have not planned for it:-
1)A few years ago a stack of supers were sealed up on a piece of plywood by the shed. The plywood warped and allowed bees to get in - with a swarm arriving without me noticing for a day or two.
2)Last year I was at an apiary that I had been asked to look after and there was an empty WBC there. I saw bees waggle-dancing on the landing board and thought that bees were expected. Sure enough they were there by the next week.

Bees will naturally fly a fair distance when they swarm for the simple reason is that they would want to find somewhere where they would not compete for forage with their former nest site. By a fair distance, from memory of Winston (Biology of the Honey Bee), the distance will largely be between 200 and 1000 metres so bait hives a few hundred metres away might work best.

[Savorys]

Thank's to everybody who gave me advice.
I've bought some Swarm Commander lure from America.
I could see that I could get a product with the same name from Chinese suppliers, all via Ebay, but I was suspicious about the effectiveness of this cheaper product.
I imagine that anything that we buy in this global market place could prove to be a couterfit inferior product. Its just a gamble.
I'm sure the bees will let me know if I've wasted my money.
Ian

[NigelP]

Don't forget to seal up the entrances on all your swarm lure boxes to prevent swarms of unknown characteristics and disease status ect setting up in them
You are delving in to the unknown and trust me by the time you've requeened them (they already have an old queen), treated for varroa and the like they are not free bees!

[Patrick]

Bait hives certainly work, especially if located about 6ft up on shed roofs etc.

Think of them catching other beekeepers or feral swarms. They are no reliable form of swarm control for you unfortunately, as prime swarms are biologically programmed to normally go further than the same garden.

Of course you may have an exceedingly large garden, in which ignore me!!

[Chrisbarlow]

You are delving in to the unknown and trust me by the time you've requeened them (they already have an old queen), treated for varroa and the like they are not free bees!

youre being grumpy NP. hahahahahaa. .

apart from varroa treatment, the quarantine thingy and I agree totally about requeening because you could have the oldest nag on the horse farm in your midst but they are free bees!!!!

I dont stick bait hives out at other peoples properties but at all my apiaries I have most of my spare kit set up as bait hives, floors, broods, crown boards, roofs and then same again on top. I always get a swarm in each apiary. treat, quarantine and requeen and away you go.