Author Topic: Successful Swarm Luring (Read 4597 times)

Country Heart · « **on:** March 08, 2012, 02:05:19 am »

What has worked best for you?

BlevinsBees · « **Reply #1 on:** March 08, 2012, 04:43:20 am »

Any used hive with that lived in smell, a frame of old brood comb and a couple of drops of Lemongrass oil at the entrance. Caught 17 last year with two traps.

danno · « **Reply #2 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:08:17 am »

your poll was missing often every year. old comb with a lemongrass lure does it every time

Indiana Dave · « **Reply #3 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:18:37 am »

How do you keep wax moths from destroying the frames of comb in the swarm trap?

jaseemtp · « **Reply #4 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:27:40 am »

I use some old comb and lemon grass oil. Has worked the best for me

tefer2 · « **Reply #5 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:31:56 am »

Wax moths are not very active at that time of the year here. Old comb in an old box with a few drops of lemon grass oil.

danno · « **Reply #6 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:39:03 am »

As Terry said its abit early for moth problems. Last year I did have a mouse move into one. Dont know how she found it hanging up there.

stanisr · « **Reply #7 on:** March 08, 2012, 09:59:16 am »

Not had a problem with Moths, I use nuk boxes built from D. Cotes plans, so far very good results.

beyondthesidewalks · « **Reply #8 on:** March 08, 2012, 01:22:16 pm »

LGO is the silver bullet for me.

CapnChkn · « **Reply #9 on:** March 08, 2012, 10:42:58 pm »

Like everbuddy sez:

Some drawn comb, and a pheromone lure, or Lemon Grass Oil. LGO is cheaper. I didn't catch any with the commercial lure.

beyondthesidewalks · « **Reply #10 on:** March 08, 2012, 11:45:10 pm »

The first year I tried trapping I bought a package of five of the commercial swarm lures from a reputable beekeeping supplier. I ran a test of five using those and five traps with LGO. The LGO outperformed the commerdcial stuff. I forget the exact breakdown but remember that LGO was the hands down winner.

Michael Bush · « **Reply #11 on:** March 09, 2012, 12:44:40 am »

It's like fishing. If you find a good spot and use good lures it can be very effective. If you use good lures in a poor spot, you probably will get nothing. If you use poor lures in a good spot, it's hard to predict, but probably you won't do so well. So how to you find a good spot? You try a lot of spots...

Country Heart · « **Reply #12 on:** March 09, 2012, 02:23:27 am »

Quote from: BlevinsBees on March 08, 2012, 04:43:20 am

Any used hive with that lived in smell, a frame of old brood comb and a couple of drops of Lemongrass oil at the entrance. Caught 17 last year with two traps.

Wow - 17 swarms from two traps sounds like a great year!

I think I will try setting up a trap this weekend. My equipment is new, so no nice lived in smell. But my mentor gave me a frame of drawn brood comb to include and I bought some lemongrass oil. I'll see what I can do to impress some of the local scouts.

Tricky · « **Reply #13 on:** March 09, 2012, 05:11:35 am »

You have inspired me to buy some lemongrass oil myself, if I can find a place that sells it!!

beyondthesidewalks · « **Reply #14 on:** March 09, 2012, 08:42:56 am »

Try a local health food store. If that fails you can find it on the internet.

hardwood · « **Reply #15 on:** March 09, 2012, 09:42:12 am »

Ebay has the cheapest LGO.

Scott

BlevinsBees · « **Reply #16 on:** March 09, 2012, 01:12:44 pm »

$4.00 a bottle on Amazon. One bottle will last you two seasons BTW.

http://www.amazon.com/Lemongrass-100-Pure-Essential-Oil/product-reviews/B000BJ0JBK

edward · « **Reply #17 on:** March 09, 2012, 03:28:01 pm »

The best place to catch swarms is in places they have used bee fore.

I am going to put some traps out this season , I am going to build them after sizes in the book " Honeybee Democracy "
And use lemongrass oil.

mvh edward :P

Rich V · « **Reply #18 on:** March 09, 2012, 03:51:44 pm »

Old comb and lemongrass oil has collected me one swarm in about sseven years.

AllenF · « **Reply #19 on:** March 09, 2012, 04:22:48 pm »

Never forget with old comb and LGO, slum gum crap that you collect will bring them in also. Rub it in you boxes or leave it in the bottom under the frames for that hove smell.

beyondthesidewalks · « **Reply #20 on:** March 09, 2012, 04:41:17 pm »

I haven't been trapping swarms very long, 3 or 4 years. In that time I have noticed a dramatic increase in the number of feral hives around me. That may account for my success. I don't know why the feral bees have started doing better. For the last half of the 1990s and the first half of the first decade of the 2000s they were just about gone. Seems like they are getting more numerous every year. Mostly black feral bees. Some tend to run a little hot.

Scott Derrick · « **Reply #21 on:** March 09, 2012, 05:02:21 pm »

Yep...old comb and lemongrass oil works!

Poll

How often have you had success in luring a swarm?

Author Topic: Successful Swarm Luring (Read 4597 times)