In message <[log in to unmask]>, Dave Cushman
<[log in to unmask]> writes
>I would sooner have a swarm land in a bait hive rather than lose it
>entirely.
Me too - also it is easier than collecting it from someone's tree or
house, especially when it is not your own and you do a (paid or free)
service to remove swarms and colonies. It is amazing how much time is
needed to deal with a swarm - especially if it comes out of planned
apiary time - travel, chatting, setting up, chatting, travel, travel
back, collecting, chatting, travel, re-siting etc. etc. If you are
lucky, some travel and chatting time can be saved. None of this if they
do all the removal themselves. I do try to place some bait hives near
where they would be a nuisance and hope the farmer will tell me in good
time. It is a useful diversion to receive a swarm on a flat roof at home
with the entrance of the bait hive facing into my daughter's bedroom
window. I have had a swarm move from a large size hive body to a small
sized one about 4 feet off the ground. I have even had them move into a
stack of old supers not very weather proof mostly filled with empty old
frames waiting to be chopped up for firewood! This happened 3 times and
I was embarrassed to work out much later that 2 of them were mine -
coming from 2 of my own very well fed swarms in a nearby field, which
swarmed again when they filled the new hives with brood and food!
--
James Kilty