TomMaybe free bees? if they're not the swarm from 5 days ago which would be unlikely unless they didn't like their first pick of a new home. The bait hive was very active yesterday, then it wasn't at all, then before dark it was really active again and some looking like they'd spend the night. This morning when I looked it was busy again so I put the GoPro up.
The new hive with the caught swarm has pollen going in and the bait hive might be back to scout bees and no robbing.
#beekeeping #bees #beehive #BaitHive #BeeSwarm #apiary #SwarmTrap #April21 #HoneyBees
The bait hive is busy this afternoon. Seems like a little fighting going on so must not be from the same hive. Could be some robbing but there's a lot of coming and going too. There was still some honey in some of the old comb put in here.
The first scout bee observed at the bait hive. 15:53 local daylight time, 60F/15C, sunny, light breeze.
It was the only bee from 13:30 - 16:30. Weather is turning warmer so maybe there will be more activity in the coming week.
#beekeeping #SwarmSeason #HoneyBee #bees #BaitHive #SwarmTrap #beehive #April17
I put the swarm trap, bait hive, up today. There's commercial migratory bees in the area so that means it's time to catch someone else's bees, or my own. It's about 330 ft from the apiary, or 100 meters, but also close to where I plan on putting a hive to see how it does in slightly hotter temperatures since it will be above the cooler layer close to the water. It has 6 frames of old smelly comb in it this year.
The swarm moving in from start to finish, 20 minutes of video in 20 seconds.
I looked at the bait hive this afternoon and there were a lot of bees behaving a bit odd there. The bait hive has been quiet for most of the week since I checked some of the hives a week ago. I put a camera up and when I was checking it later there was a swarm moving in! They say a swarm in July is not worth a fly, we'll see. Looking at the hive now you'd think it was just a few scout bees unless you paid attention.
Swarm update. They flew off around 12:00 yesterday when I wasn't looking at the camera I had pointed at them. Activity at the bait hive was typical for what it has been for a week or more.
Log entry today for the bait hive:
"12:39 Four bees in bait hive. Much less activity, no warring activity, it's as if one camp of scouts got back home last night and exclaimed "Where the fuck did everyone go?!""
The bait hive was really active today with scouts...
The two hives that love propolis and have blocked any form of upper venting are quite numerous on the outside of their hives. There's a box of bees on the Center hive and not much less than that on what was the Green nuc which was started as a split 9 weeks ago with laying queen 7 weeks ago and got a honey super last week.
#beekeeping #BaitHive #BeeBearding #bees #apiary #SwarmTrap #June29 #SwarmInJune #SilverSpoon
