I got a call today asking if I wanted to come pick up a bait trap that another bee removal company set up (for A LOT of money!) and they would have charged $75 to just come to pick up the trap. I received a donation of $20 for my gas which I didn't mind since I didn't have to do anything.
Anyways, I sealed the entrance of the pot bait trap and brought it down. It weighed almost nothing but I did see bees inside.
Brought it home tonight and opened it up to find VERY little bees inside. I would guess it was smaller than a softball size!
So my question is, in a bait hive which uses old comb and lemongrass oil will some bees (more than scouts I assume) from a nearby swarm move in to the bait hive and not leave, spend a night, even if the queen was not there?
Or it could be a really small after-swarm in which I'll wait a few days to inspect for a queen.
I've had 3 frames or so in bees spend a night in a deep with out a queen on waxed foundation. They were there for the feed only. I've heard of soft ball size swarms but haven't caught one yet.
Could it indeed been an afterswarm & the virgin queen went out in her mating flight & got snatched by a bird or other mishap? You did collect the swarm trap in early morn or late eve so as to grab all the colony?
I have been havin luck w/ swarm lure traps made out of tossed out styro coolers I converted to top bar swarm lure traps. I didn't always use lemon grass but always had melted bees wax on the top bars comb guides & wax painted in front & inner entrance. Got 3 styro traps w/ bees so far & need to build more.
Temple City Jenny Craig Cooler Swarm Lure Trap (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRpGZP99-kU#)
Am trying trap out in few weeks & will place 3 swarm lure traps in area to lure the queen as she usually absconds.
Good luck on finding the queen but merge w/ a hive that has less workers if w/o her highness.