Hi Tom & All!
 
I hope most of you are as excited as I am to get started on swarms -
from hives other than our own that is!
 
This year I purchased two of Mann-Lake's cheapy 'swarm' hives.  They're
made with paper mache' (sp?) and coated with something for protection
from rain with a hole on one end.  You're supposed to tie or nail these
to a tree or anything in the vicinity where you'd expect to catch a
swarm - providing swarms with an opportune hive.  Anyone try these?
 
I'll be using a bunch of  feral comb (empty or with pollen) & placing
pieces both inside (large) the boxes & outside(small) for full exposure
to the sun....hoping the smell of melting wax will attract scouts.  I'm
estimating the smell of the wax is the reason many other empty feral
hives get re-filled with bees year after year.
 
Matthew Westall in Castle Rock, CO