What do you put in a bait hive?

Handing over my last precious jars of honey of the season to an eager customer I stand inside the door of a pub for the first time since March 2020.  It had been shut to business due to Covid for 16 full months. I can hardly believe it’s been that long. Many a good foot-stomping, rip-roaring traditional Irish music session I had experienced in this pub. Yet here it was, no spirt physical or virtual. No pub-smell. Books instead of pints lined the counter. Framed photos removed from the wall leaned like lost punters against a table. The bicycle languishing against a lonely barstool did not look out of place.

Who would have ever believed that Irish pubs would close and closed for so long?  Ah trad sessions, I felt a pang of sadness. When will we see and hear you again? The whoop and hupya, the jig and the reel, the dizzy spin of dancers spontaneously stepping out a set, the flute, the pipes, fiddle, banjo and box.…

“What do you put in a bait hive?” Woke me from my reverie.

“You need an old bee box that smells of bees.” I started off, feeling like I was listing mystical items for a potion.

“The box has to be the right size – bees are fussy.” – I use Langstroth but that’s too must detail for my casual enquirer.

“I find a wooden box is best.” – Most of my colonies reside more permanently in a cosy insulated poly hives.

“You need old brood frame, it doesn’t matter if it’s black, black just means it’s been polished by the bees.” – Getting your hand’s on that as a new beekeeper is like finding gold dust.

I didn’t get to part where I don’t put them high up as others recommend. I am afraid I’d fall ….with a box full of bees. Bees seem to like my bait hives just fine a few feet off the ground on simple hive stands.

“What’s a brood frame?”  I keep answering as long as there are questions and the subject changes.  A face to face meeting is so treasured these days and thankfully they are getting more frequent.

I’ve plenty of mentions of swarms and bait hives in my blog, just put in “bait” or “bait hive” or “swarm” in the search box you can see on this blog page.

But if you want less of a story and more facts, then you’d do well to check out

Dave A Cushman Bait Hives for attracting swarms

Beekeeping like a girl How to lure a swarm of bees

And in this video you will see what is actually in a bait box All You Need to Know – Bait Hive / Swarm trap / Swarm Lure