When it is time for bees swarming (May to July), you may want to add a bait hive near to your apiary in the hope that you can catch the swarm so you can retain your bees.
To create a bait hive, you will need a hive floor, brood box, crown board and roof. Alternatively, you could use two supers.
Place two super frames of granulated OSR honey (the bait) in the centre of the hive, leaving a gap in the middle between the two. Apparently, bees like to assess the volume of the hive when choosing a new home.
You will need to add empty frames of drawn brood alongside and adding the new brood foundation at the outside. (Older frames seem to be more attractive.)
(Image to the left shows the underside of a brood box.)
The bees will rob the bait hive but they will remember where it is if they swarm later. Using super frames in the centre allows the bees to cluster underneath as they do normally in a swarm.
When placing the hive, it must be raised at least 3 feet off the ground to deter other creatures. Some beekeepers put their bait hives on walls.