# 1st Bait Swarm of the Season



## bluegrass (Aug 30, 2006)

lucky... We will not see swarms here for about 8-12 weeks.


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## whiskeytripping (Nov 16, 2012)

GREAT JOB! I just put one out yesterday in a tree about 7' up in a cedar tree. The one i did i filled with fresh new Rite cell foundations, and 2 of the frames have fresh wax starter strips. I also only used a 5 frame NUC box. AND i used a Q-tip with lemon grass oil ran around about 1/2 way up on the wall in the box and threw the Q-tip in the bottom of the box. If you dont mind, how did you fix your bait hive up? Thanks for sharing that


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Thats a healthy one! At what locations/setups do you have the most success?


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

.

All those bees are airbrushed on the frames !


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

>If you dont mind, how did you fix your bait hive up?
Filled with freshly extracted black combs from dead hive brood chambers. 

>At what locations/setups do you have the most success?
I suggest full size traps using your common brood chamber size. I started with five frame nucs but they can not fit large swarms. For eight frame medium brood box users I suggest two boxes. Same with Warres, two boxes. 

Video of my bait hive assembly line, they choose the red, 7 jumbo frame box, which in the video has no bees interested in it. 

http://youtu.be/iWcI7nBpUHM


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## Snookie (Dec 13, 2013)

THANKS FOR THE VIDEO

Got to get me some key chains:}

Got 6 traps/boxes out( two at catholic churches property for spiritual assistance) it's been in the upper 60's to lower 70's last couple of days here in South Louisiana.

Hoping for some action soon:}








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## Calbears94 (Jan 24, 2014)

I am in NorCal too Frank and nothing yet in mine.... I checked all 9 of mine today and nothing yet


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## whiskeytripping (Nov 16, 2012)

Hello odfrank where did you get those round metal doors you have on your hives? Those look pretty handy.


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## Calbears94 (Jan 24, 2014)

Very cool video.... So you melt the old dark comb and LGO together in the bottom of the traps??? 

Also when I first places my traps I had similiar activity in about 1/2 but now 3 weeks later nothing??? Any recommendations??? I know it's early but I checked them all today...


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## Sonoramic413 (Aug 10, 2013)

whiskeytripping said:


> Hello odfrank where did you get those round metal doors you have on your hives? Those look pretty handy.


Mann lake carries them.. Just search for "disc" in their search line in the top right corner of their main page


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## burns375 (Jul 15, 2013)

Looking good snookie, I enjoy the creativity around the entrance. LOL


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

Calbears94 said:


> Also when I first places my traps I had similiar activity in about 1/2 but now 3 weeks later nothing??? Any recommendations??? I know it's early but I checked them all today...


Bee patient, it is just the first week of a 10 week swarm season. I melt propolis and LGO around the inside of the entrance, I use old combs as the bait.


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## Calbears94 (Jan 24, 2014)

I know I put mine out too early so I will wait a bit.... I like the propolis and LGO idea because that way the smell does get washed away with rains....


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

I have never seen a swarm and my bait hives are simply lonely boxes! I would love to have a swarm move in. I do worry that leaving empty boxes with drawn comb will attract wax moths. Is it best to leave foundation less frames, frames with indrawn foundation or drawn comb and risk wax moths?


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## blueskydixon (Jul 9, 2011)

I checked on a remote bait hive (used 8f deep mixed with 1 old comb and empty frames and LGO) to shoo out any wasps, and as I peeked under the lid, a honey bee greeted me! I told the landowner, maybe within a week she will see them arrive (fingers crossed). I picked her house because of all the bees last fall on her mimosa trees. And, following odfrank's suggestion (thanks for the video link) of propolis/LGO melted inside the door, I spent a long while scratching at my winter boxes and frames and collected a good amount of gunk. I then beat the thunderstorm and got a few boxes done yesterday. I will need to go further to collect more. But I'm doing the boxes never having bees in them before.
A couple of years ago I made a "cow" style top bar hive. Never had bees. I decided it must be too light. I painted the barrel dark green. Added some prop/LGO behind the door. Last month waxed the top bars. I even added "panels" of insulation board to keep the sun's heat off the sides. It's not pretty, but it's in the spot I caught my 1st ever baited swarm. I can't put the trap back there as the trees is gone, but this might work!


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