> Has anyone had any luck setting up empty hive bodies to
> attract swarms when they occur? Are there any better ways to do this?

   On the 29th of January, Aaron Morris provided some good input on that
question.  Later, others provided some more insight.

   James W. Cowan of Washington State has used "decoy hives," as he calls
them, with good success.  They are modelled much as described by Aaron.
Jim and I have had a lively correspondence about their use for several
years (though I have been too slow in responding all too often).

   Nearly 2000 years ago Columella in Spain provided a good description of
how one could build a swarm hive, how big to make it, where to locate it
(near where bees go to water), and what to rub inside (bruised lemon balm
and wax flowers).

   Justin Schmidt and Steven Thoenes of the USDA lab in Tucson
independently developed a similar swarm hive (known by them as a swarm
trap) and came up with a packaged lure --- now available from bee supply
houses (somewhat pricey).

   In our research on Santa Cruz Island, Robbin Thorp of the UC Davis
campus and I, assisted by many volunteers, had dozens of swarms move into
the Schmidt/Thoenes swarm hives that they had furnished for us.  We found
that those swarm hives were about as efficient at becoming occupied as were
cavities that had formerly had colonies in them.

   Dr. Thorp and I published some of our results as abstracts in the
AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL.  Those interested can read p. 870 in the December
1993 issue and p. 895 in the December 2001 issue of that magazine.

                                                        Adrian

Adrian M. Wenner                    (805) 963-8508 (home phone)
967 Garcia Road                     (805) 893-8062  (UCSB FAX)
Santa Barbara, CA  93106  [http://www.beesource.com/pov/wenner/index.htm]

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*    "We not only believe what we see:
*  to some extent we see what we believe."
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*                           Richard Gregory (1970)
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