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Bait Hives for Honeybees

In most parts of the United States, wild colonies of bees live in hollow trees and buildings. They are descendants of bees that escaped from managed hives and reverted to natural nests. By using bait hives or bait boxes, beekeepers may harvest swarms that issue from these or other colonies.

Tom Seeley, Roger Morse, and Richard Nowogrodzki produced a Cornell Cooperative Extension Publication in 1987 to explain how swarms choose their nest sites in order to help beekeepers design and situate bait hives to make them more likely to attract swarms. The publication remains highly relevant and useful for modern beekeepers.

Click on the link to read the full publication: Bait Hives for Honeybees

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