Old comb for bait hives/ swarm traps

[PRYORDARNELL]

Does anyone know where I might get/buy old comb to put in some bait hives? I am in the Toowoomba region and have made a few swarm traps ready for this spring/summer. I have added lemongrass oil but was hoping to add some old comb to make the traps more attractive to bees. I am autistic and joining a beek club is not really feasible due to my social anxiety.
Thanks
Damian
PS attached is a couple of pics of the slightly modified Warre hive I recently finished. There are two more hive bodies and all my frames have 90mm sides with spacers.

[Brub58]

Adding old comb to bait hives is prohibited in Australia.  Only new foundation is allowed.

[PRYORDARNELL]

 
I had no idea and I have been researching and reading heavily for a while. 
Oh well there goes that idea. Guess I will just use lemongrass oil and keep my feelers out for a swarm.
Thanks for the heads up Brub58
Cheers
Damian

[eltalia]

 G'day, welcome.
Unfortunately a lot of online info is not at all relative to locations
outside of the USA Damian... same goes for many a populist novel.

Your work is notably "crafty" so sourcing some comb/foundation to mix
with a dab of honey and painting the walls of a swarmbox with
the mix should be doable for you, aging the wood like.
That is all that needs to be done. Come the time the swarms will love it.

Bill

[PRYORDARNELL]

Thanks Bill
I was just saying to my wife that I will try to find out if it is OK to melt an old comb and use it to seal the timber on the inside of the swarm traps.
Tons to learn. The closest thing to a novel I am reading is "Honeybee Democracy" by Thomas D Seeley. Bloody good read.
Thanks again
Damian

[Bamboo]

Welcome Mate.
Love your workmanship on your hive. Hope it all goes well for you. Anything you want to know ask Bill, he has bucket loads of Ozzie experience.
Cheers
Mark

[BeeMaster2]

Welcome to Beemaster.
Nice woodwork.
I like Bills idea if you cannot use old comb. Even just freshly melted bees wax painted on the inside is very attractive to the bees. Bee sure to use empty frames with a waxed strip of wood in the top.
The bees like an open space to move into so the foundation makes it look to small.
Jim

[beepro]

If you want to use old comb then melt the wax and all in water.  Use this brown water to
brush on your hive all over inside and out.   The wood will soak in the wax scent making it look and
smell like an aged hive.   I got this idea after melting down some old comb and save the water and wax chunk
in a glass jar.   After 6 seasons the brown water is still good-- smells like the bee!

Also, last season I got some new wax foundation for the bees to draw out.   After that it was close to winter so they
did not use the newly drawn comb.   This season everything is brand new using the drawn comb for the first time.   So if you
can find someone to get some newly drawn comb frames that might help you to set up this trap.   Maybe instead of using the old
comb you can use the new one in your area?

[Brub58]

Beepro, what part of - only new foundation is allowed - was unclear?

Damian, here?s some reading for you.  Section 6.3 applies in this case.

http://beeaware.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Australian-Honey-Bee-Industry-Biosecurity-Code-of-Practice.pdf

Sawdstmakrs suggestion to use waxed strips only is a good one.

Bruce.

[PRYORDARNELL]

6.3   A hive placed for the purpose of catching bee swarms (a swarm catch box) must only contain
foundation. Frames already drawn or that contain brood, honey or pollen are not permitted.
Thanks Brub58
I have had a solid read and I am better informed.
Cheers
Damian

[eltalia]

6.3   A hive placed for the purpose of catching bee swarms (a swarm catch box) must only contain
foundation. Frames already drawn or that contain brood, honey or pollen are not permitted.
Thanks Brub58
I have had a solid read and I am better informed.
Cheers
Damian

G'mornin' Damian... a quickie only to note the "must" in these documents is a legal thing,
not a directive as such. The Terms of Engagement will be in the read somewhere to say
something like "this document defines breaches not "how to" and so cannot be used as
a guide to what works but rather what will attract a fine if/when discovered.

Orphaned bees love a void, so nothing, nada, zilch is best although not always practical for
the purpose of swarm management... and manage them you must under that same Code.
Soooo demountable comb holders must be in place. It can be a simple board under any
lid, or for a standard "beeebox", three topbars with a line of melted wax along the centreline.
3 (three) is the magic number, screwed down at the ears for stabilty.
Paint the internal walls with brew, fit the bars and set the box around waist height with the
entrance 90degrees to the weather side ant it's set.

Bill

[Skeggley]

Thanks for that link Bruce, interesting.
I'm wondering how many Aussie beeks sugar roll or alcohol wash their bees though. Anyone?

[Brub58]

About 50% put their hand up when they asked at the club meeting on Thursday night.

[Skeggley]

Sure after what happened at the port it would be the diligent thing to do but would it have been the same number six months ago?

[PRYORDARNELL]

I have made my swarm traps 300x300widex450 deep. This equates to approximately 40 liters and allows me to use the same half frames that I have made for my Warre hives. Hoping to keep everything interchangeable and stick to my own standard sizes.
Anyone know when swarms start near toowoomba? Earliest reports I can find for my area is mid to late August. 

[damienpryan]

I never new it was banned to use old comb in bait hives.
I've been doing it for years!.
I'll stop now though!.
I think lemongrass oil is much more effective than the old comb for attraction purposes.

Cheers