How to Start a Beehive Without Buying Bees

Will An Empty Beehive Attract Bees?
Written by: gamer2x

Wouldn't it be fantastic if you could become a beekeeper without actually purchasing bees? One way to do so is to use an empty beehive. The question, however, is, Will An Empty Beehive Attract Bees?

We will precisely answer this question below. We will go into the more details of this question to help you understand if this is possible or not.

Will An Empty Beehive Attract Bees?

Yes, with the help of empty beehives, you can attract a swarm of bees. If you were to keep an empty hive as it is, the chances of bees getting attracted to it are pretty low. However, if you follow a proper procedure, you can easily find success in this endeavor. You need to keep in mind that it can be a slow process, and therefore, you need to have a lot of patience to achieve this. We will share with you a simple procedure below, which will allow you to use empty beehive to attract bees.

I. Position the beehive carefully:

The 1st question which you need to find the answer to is where you should position the hive?

You have to keep in mind that you have to position the beehive at least 200 to 300 m away from the other hives. Only once you do so, the chance of a migration of the swarm will be on the higher side. Otherwise, the worker bees might explore the empty beehive but not occupy it. Thus, it is a good idea to keep it at a distance of at least 200 to 300 m. Also, the positioning should be such that you can move it at a later date if required.

II. Monitor the entrance of the hive:

Once you have placed it, now is the time to watch it. The best indicator is to check the opening of the beehive. You have to monitor the bees around the entrance precisely. If the bees are not carrying any pollen, it indicates that the swarm has not moved in. In case the bees are carrying pollen, it is a clear indicator that the bees are occupying the beehive. Initially, the worker bees will check out the empty hive. In such a case, you will not notice any pollen. If that is happening too frequently, you have to give them a few weeks to move in. As we said above, it is a game of patience. That is why, at this point, you should not get disappointed and move the empty beehive once again.

III. Use bait:

If you're not able to attract the bees to the empty beehive, you can use a few baits to your advantage. The baits can be plenty like:

• Coating the hive with beeswax:

You can always cover the hive with beeswax. You can mix it with lemongrass to make it even more noticeable. When that happens, you can attract at least a small amount of bees to the empty beehive. However, you have to ensure that you do not overdo it. If you overdo it, the bees will ignore the abandoned hive.

• Install a feeding system:

Another option is to install a feeding system approximately a hundred meters away from the empty beehive. It should be in the opposite direction of their occupied hive. Once you do so, the worker bees and the foraging bees will regard it as an abundant food supply source. As a result, empty beehive will become more lucrative. It is one of the easiest ways to get empty hives occupied.

• Rub the Lemon Balm plant:

Another option which you have got is to rub the hive with the lemon balm plant. Doing so will once again result in an odor that will attract the bees. As a result, getting the empty beehive occupied will be easy.

These are the three baits which you can use to attract bees to the empty beehive. If you want to go for a completely natural solution, you can choose between the 1st and the 3rd option. Otherwise, you can even go for installing a feeder system, as explained in the 2nd option above.

The baits significantly increase the chances of the bees occupying the empty beehive.

IV. Do not move the box early:

When should you think about moving the beehive?

Once you have managed to attract the bees to the empty beehive, the next question which you need the answer is when you should move the hive?

You have to remember that it will take a week or so for the entire swarm to move in. The whole flock does not move in at the same pace. Sometimes, it can take around two weeks, as well. After that, it is better to wait for another two weeks to let the bees settle down. Only after this time, you can think about moving the beehive. There are a few tips which you should follow
while moving the hive. These include:

• You should move it only by a limited distance each day.

• You should also move the bait by the same distance relative to the positioning of the beehive.

• You should move it during the evening so that the bees stick to the beehive rather than search for a new shelter.

• You should move the beehive and complete the entire procedure in the season. It ensures that bees have proper time for collecting pollen and honey. When that happens, the chances of bees surviving are on the higher side.

• If there is light rain when you're undertaking this procedure, you should move the beehive during the gentle rain. It will ensure that the bees will not search for a new shelter when you move the hive. As a result, making them stick to this beehive will become easier.

• You should increase the quantity of sugar syrup which you are feeding them after the move. It will ensure that till bees find new sources of honey and pollen and get accustomed to their surroundings, they will have food to survive.

• At the most, you should move the beehive in 2 separate instances. Any more instances than that will disrupt the swarm, and they are more likely to abandon it.

Thus, when you follow these few tips while moving the beehive to a permanent place, it will become easy to make the swarm stick to the hive rather than abandon it for a new shelter.

Thus, it is not always necessary to buy the bees to become a beekeeper. Many times, you can attract the swarm to an empty beehive, as well. While the procedure is not easy but once you get the hang of it, you can make the bees occupy an empty hive.
You might be questioning the advantages of the whole procedure.

Since you are not buying the bees and attracting them naturally, of course, you will be able to raise them more economically. It will ensure that you can increase your ROI significantly.

How to Start a Beehive Without Buying Bees

Source: https://beebuzzer.com/will-an-empty-beehive-attract-bees/

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