# Warre bait hive



## Darb (Apr 22, 2012)

Here's my Warre bait hive. Two Warre boxes, the bottom box doesn't have any top bars in it. If I get a swarm, I just have to unscrew the boxes and place the top box on my warre stand... very little disturbance of the swarm. Only draw back is it's a bit heavy...
I have lemon grass oil, lure and the queen cage from my package last month... I just need bees to move in. Haven't seen any checking it out, but I think the weather has pushed back swarming this year...

just wanted to share my version...


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## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

Good job! That's a good looking bait hive. 

Have you thought about putting an overhead pulley system on it so you can just gently lower it down to the ground instead of trying to go up and down a ladder by yourself with it after a swarm moves in?


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## Darb (Apr 22, 2012)

it's not that high up, maybe 8 feet. Also, I put it up a month ago, seemed like a good location, but now that the leaves have come out, I'm wondering if it's too hidden. But I have so much scent inside, I'm sure the scouts will find it...


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## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

You might not want to put too much scent in it. Too much could give the opposite effect. 

One beek dabs a few drops on a small piece of cloth and fastens it to the outside of the hive entrance to let the smell spread better into the air.


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## Darb (Apr 22, 2012)

I have the queen cage, the plastic nasanov tube and a couple drops of lgo on paper towel in a zip lock baggie.... I hope it's not overkill. I've only read that too much lgo is detrimental...


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I think that without any black comb you will need a lot of luck. You might win the lottery first. Bait swarm catching relies on old black comb more than anything else. How many of out have had success without it?


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## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

odfrank said:


> I think that without any black comb you will need a lot of luck. You might win the lottery first. Bait swarm catching relies on old black comb more than anything else. How many of out have had success without it?


I know of at least three. Two are in a bee forum and the third one is me. Of course, I cheated. My husband and I tried catching what we thought was a swarm but was more than likely bees bearding and poured 1/3 into my bait hive. Most of the bees left but scout bees were all over it the next day. And by evening, they tried moving in but missed the hive (that was sitting on someone's driveway) by about 15-20 ft and sat on the ground overnight. The homeowner moved the hive close to them but they didn't move in till we put a makeshift ramp for them to march up on. That happened about 2 1/2 weeks ago. So far they're still in the hive and building comb.


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## Darb (Apr 22, 2012)

there's lots of bees coming and going.... but wasn't positive I had a swarm. I did see bees entering with pollen today, so this means I do have a swarm, correct?


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## Bubbles (Jul 14, 2012)

I think you're correct. Congratulations. 

Does your bait hive have a view window? That would be a great way to confirm their presence. If not, maybe wait a day or two and observe the activity at the entrance to make sure there are lots of bees coming and going consistently.


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## Darb (Apr 22, 2012)

I guess I won the lottery! I retrieved the hive last night, today I detached the top hive body and put my Warre together. I didn't get a real good look inside, but I could see there are several combs drawn already.
Here some photos showing how I did it. Worked great, minimal disturbance to the bees. The one thing I'd change is I'd make the hole bigger where I hung this on the nail on the tree. This thing is heavy and it was a bit difficult getting this down from the tree. 

Bait hive on left (on Warre stand) empty Warre on right









Bait hive set to the left on hive stand, empty Warre box on hive stand.









Top bait hive box unscrewed and placed on empty Warre box.









Warre hive fully assembled. Note the bottom bait box had no top bars, had a bottom screwed on and an entrance hole cut. I'll probably end up converting this to a Warre box. 










I went back to where I removed the bait hive and there is what looks like a swarm on the side of the tree. I hope the queen didn't fly back there.... I believe there is brood in my Warre so I don't think that's likely... we'll see....


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

I caught 5 swarms in June. Two of them with Warre hives. One with two boxes and one home-made hive made out of 2x12 and 2 x 8 on top! North central Missouri. One was 2 ft off the ground and the other about 3 feet.


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## Providence Hills (May 13, 2013)

I caught 5 swarms in June and didn't catch any with black comb. In fact, I put some black comb in two traps and haven't caught anything in them. I pulled the traps last week as it is getting too late. I used lemon grass oil and some "special" phemamones (sp). I think we are in a special area with lots of native honey bees. We have lots of oak timber and hayfields and cropfields in the area with a creek running through our farm.


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## pedrocr (Jun 5, 2012)

odfrank said:


> I think that without any black comb you will need a lot of luck. You might win the lottery first. Bait swarm catching relies on old black comb more than anything else. How many of out have had success without it?


This year I caught 3 swarms in bait boxes, none of them using black comb as I didn't have any yet.


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## jadebees (May 9, 2013)

The one best thing I have found is to have the synthetic pheromone, and to have a large enough box. Old comb is much less important. I have seen the scouts check all the boxes, and settle the swarm in a box, that was used, but no comb at all. It is common for them to pass up old comb, when given a choice. 2 Warre boxes seems to be the preference, for size, as a lure box. Also 2 8-frame boxes catch more than 1, as a lure.


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## Brattcat88 (Apr 25, 2021)

Darb said:


> Here's my Warre bait hive. Two Warre boxes, the bottom box doesn't have any top bars in it. If I get a swarm, I just have to unscrew the boxes and place the top box on my warre stand... very little disturbance of the swarm. Only draw back is it's a bit heavy...
> I have lemon grass oil, lure and the queen cage from my package last month... I just need bees to move in. Haven't seen any checking it out, but I think the weather has pushed back swarming this year...
> 
> just wanted to share my version...
> ...


Hello! I know this is an older post, but if you are still here, I would love to ask some questions. I am going to attempt this same process, but I am completely new to everything. I just wanted to see if you used any wax inside the bait box? Thanks!


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