Thank you! To bait our hives/swarm hives we use: 1: Propolis rubdown 2: Small dab of lemongrass essential oil 3: One frame of fully built comb I explain it pretty well in this video, the hive is baited just like the swarm hive: ruclips.net/video/3DaK0Ra6TLs/видео.htmlsi=Te5oiN_GKGgONaIu
Great video... Loved seeing all the free bees!! We're still watching and waiting. Got our bugbaffler outfit in the mail this week, so we're ready to go!
Congratulations on the swarms! Four is a great start, double of what we have so far. We put up seven swarm hives to start the year so we still have five that are awaiting new guests.
I dropped a swarm down into a layens the same size as what you are showing 12-13 frames. They built it 90% out right now too to bottom in less than a month, haven’t even hatched their first round of brood yet. Is this normal, should I be putting them in a larger layens hive? What’s a good size Layens to leave them in year round and not have to worry about late season swarming if they have already packed it out like this
Most of our Layens hives are 14 frame but the bigger hives are 19 frames. A 14 frame Layens hive is more than enough room for the average honeybee colony, and in the winter you will maintain them on just 7-8 frames (with the empty space separated from the colony with a divider board). We allow our Bees to swarm as they wish but we haven't seen many late season swarms from our Layens hives so you shouldn't have to worry to much about it.
Honeybees can beat varroa without human intervention and we see the bees in our apiary do it all the time. We have multiple colonies that have existed in hives for years with zero treatment and low intervention and they thrive because of it.
Marvelous update thanks! 🐝🐝
Thank you for watching. 🙂
Love the untouched observation colony. Yes, patience is the key!
We have to be patient when our friends up north are catching all the bees! 😉
Build it and they will come. Indeed have patience. It took until August of my second season swarm trapping before I caught a swarm.
Patience works! Sometimes waiting is the best part. Visiting each of your swarm traps to see if you have any new inhabitants is a rush!
Great video 👍🏼 what are you using to bait the hives?
Thank you!
To bait our hives/swarm hives we use:
1: Propolis rubdown
2: Small dab of lemongrass essential oil
3: One frame of fully built comb
I explain it pretty well in this video, the hive is baited just like the swarm hive:
ruclips.net/video/3DaK0Ra6TLs/видео.htmlsi=Te5oiN_GKGgONaIu
“We’ve kept them as an observation hive” I LOVE IT!
They are very busy, and even had some pre-swarm clusters a few weeks ago.
I have a lot of swarm boxes filled with bees that I never got to and they’re still going strong. They’re great for generating free bees
Great video... Loved seeing all the free bees!! We're still watching and waiting. Got our bugbaffler outfit in the mail this week, so we're ready to go!
Keep being patient and they will come. Enjoy that suit, y'all will appreciate how cool it feels on a hot day!
hope that hive gets strong and multiplies!!
That's the dream!
Great video! Awesome swarm catch in the main hive. Doesn't get any easier than that. We are 4 for 4, 4 swarms in 4 swarm boxes, down in Apex.
Congratulations on the swarms! Four is a great start, double of what we have so far. We put up seven swarm hives to start the year so we still have five that are awaiting new guests.
Want to get swarm traps/ NUcs as the basis of my apiary. After having them collapse all in a year, starting over. LOL
good luck
Thanks, good luck catching some free bees!
I dropped a swarm down into a layens the same size as what you are showing 12-13 frames. They built it 90% out right now too to bottom in less than a month, haven’t even hatched their first round of brood yet. Is this normal, should I be putting them in a larger layens hive? What’s a good size Layens to leave them in year round and not have to worry about late season swarming if they have already packed it out like this
Most of our Layens hives are 14 frame but the bigger hives are 19 frames. A 14 frame Layens hive is more than enough room for the average honeybee colony, and in the winter you will maintain them on just 7-8 frames (with the empty space separated from the colony with a divider board).
We allow our Bees to swarm as they wish but we haven't seen many late season swarms from our Layens hives so you shouldn't have to worry to much about it.
How might the untouched observation colony deal with varroa destructor mites?
Honeybees can beat varroa without human intervention and we see the bees in our apiary do it all the time. We have multiple colonies that have existed in hives for years with zero treatment and low intervention and they thrive because of it.
If you have to feed, what do yall use?
Thanks
We don’t feed anymore but when we did we used honey.