Will bees move in on their own

So I’m waiting on a nuc but was out in the garden this morning potting around and have a lot of bees hanging around the flowers of weeds in there. What’s the likelihood of bees making home in my flow hive if I put it out there?

If there is a swarm nearby on the day then a pretty good chance, especially if you have a couple of frames of wax foundation in there also.

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Bait hives are like fishing. There is no telling. Just because bees are out foraging does not mean they are looking for a home. But if they are looking for a home, offering a nice one may work or may not. Lemongrass essential oil (four drops or so) makes more difference than anything else. Size (about the volume of a ten frame deep), height (further off the ground is more interesting to them), entrance size (about an inch hole works well in my experience), old comb etc. are all helpful.

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