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exmoorlover House Bee
Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Posts: 23 Location: exmoor, north devon, uk
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 11:47 am Post subject: bait hives |
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What is the minimum distance to put a bait hive from an existing colony? I presume that in nature it isn't in bees' best interest to move in close to exisiting bees, even though that is the way we often keep them. |
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catchercradle Golden Bee

Joined: 31 May 2010 Posts: 1550 Location: Cambridge, UK
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Posted: Wed May 04, 2016 1:54 pm Post subject: |
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I would suggest there isn't a minimum distance but Professor Seeley has probably got the optimum distance somewhere on his pages. I had some two weeks ago move into an empty hive in the apiary about ten foot from the nearest other hive.
The experience of many is that bait hives within an apiary often attract swarms from other locations so based on that, locating the bait hive away from the apiary by say 20 metres may improve it's effectiveness. |
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trekmate Golden Bee

Joined: 30 Nov 2009 Posts: 1137 Location: UK, North Yorkshire, Bentham
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2016 6:57 am Post subject: |
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Tom Seeley suggests a wild swarm moves between 100 yards and one mile from the parent colony. Less than 100 yards works if you're offering the best home in the area. |
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exmoorlover House Bee
Joined: 06 Jun 2012 Posts: 23 Location: exmoor, north devon, uk
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2016 9:40 am Post subject: |
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Trek mate, I live in hope!
Thank you both very much. |
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AugustC Silver Bee

Joined: 08 Jul 2013 Posts: 613 Location: Malton, North Yorkshire
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Posted: Thu May 05, 2016 12:10 pm Post subject: |
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What they said
Prime swarms appear to like to go a little further and casts are more willing to take what they can get. In reality I place them in convenient places rather than specific measured distances. We are after all dealing with a balance many factors and we just have to have the bait hive (or at least one of them) considered by the colony to be their best option. |
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