Slow starting flowhive

I live in Suffolk and have placed part of my flowhive in a very pleasant quite piece of our land , right next to water and near rapeseed fields , I have only placed brood box in position as want to establish colony before moving in flowsuper. I have used swarm lure to try and attract bees , some have checked it out but none have committed , am getting a bit frustrated what should I do . I did stain the outside of the brood box in December on the outside of box could this cause problems . Cheers

Join a local bee club. Persuade a club member to sell you a swarm or buy a nucleus. You can adapt National frames (UK standard size) to the Langstroth used in the Flow hive using cable ties - just use the search tool for this web site to find instructions and photos.

Many thanks I plan to be patient and then move on it

1 Like

Buy a NUC and establish a hive. Then just because you are not trying to attract a swarm you will get plenty, so make sure you have extra boxes. :wink:

How’s it going @Widgy1? I moved your topic to Beekeeping Basics by the way, so you can get more notice as a newbee (from a fellow newbee) :wink::+1:

At my bee society the swarm catchers were happy to give swarms away. Last swarm season I got given two- but could have got 5 if I had equipment ready to house them. One swarm catcher caught 18 swarms in 10 days. Every day he had to find homes for the swarms he caught- he already had 40 hives and didn’t need anymore… Beyond that- I got several calls from friends who knew I was suddenly into beekeeping who had spotted swarms here and there- if I had been ready to go out and catch them I could have gotten another three that way.

2 Likes

Many thanks I am in touch with someone who says they can he

Appreciated may thanks greatly appreciated as I am new still finding my way around the site but again thanks you

1 Like

That’s what I now plan to do but going to give it another two weeks as the weather is getting better and bees have been checking it out though all I have found few dead bees in the box . Cheers