Built 4 nucs from the prints. Easy peasy! little lemon grass oil. Now, have no clue were to put it so hung it 8' in a tree in a strip of woods behind my back fence. guess we'll see!
Silly question - but is this just to catch a random swarm? Sorry for the silly question, but I'm really not sure of the answer, but extremely curious!
Yes, it is called a bait hive for a swarm to move in, kind of like fishing......just never know! The bees are attracted to old comb smell and the scent of lemongrass oil. If scout bees find it and can convince the swarm to move in you have yourself a new hive. No silly questions here, just ask away, all of us might just learn a thing or two!
Wow! Thanks, G3! I think sometimes I figure since I don't see any hive around here other than my own and one up the road, there just aren't any bees out here. I'm still a big time newbee and learning all the time. One member said they saw drones flying around - I lose sight of where my girls go after about 6 feet from the entrance. =( How on earth are you all able to follow them so much?
so what's a short blondie like me supposed to do without such "bee"cons? =) I would love to be able to follow these gals more than 6 feet from the hive.
bwwertz, my eyes aren't that good...nor my glasses (I wore the glasses out looking through them too much). What seems to help me is a combination of things...whether the bees are between me and the sun and whether they're flying against a dark (treeline) or light (sky) background. If the dark trees are behind them and if the bees are between me and the sun then the sunlight glares/reflects off of their bodies and wings and they "light up" for me. I can follow them for probably 100-150 feet doing this. Already having a "bead" on them via the highlighting of the sun I can follow them on up and above the top of the treeline where they turn into a black speck...shortly after that they "disappear". Normally when I walk to the bee yard in the morning I come from the south with the sun on my right (east). I can see the bees flying in front of the hives and a few that happen to fly close by me when I come from that direction. I've found that if I veer over to the left and come in from the west (bees between me and the sun) that suddenly the pasture needs an air traffic controller because of all the bees I see flying to and from the hives and zig-zagging around the pasture...getting them between me and the direction of the sun (and against the dark background of the treeline) reveals a lot more bees. Anyhow, just thought I'd share that with you. Best wishes, Ed
Where do you find the lemon grass oil? Do you have to put the "trap" up in a tree or can you just set it anywhere? I'm kind of an "outta sight outta mind" gal sometimes. =( If I don't actually "see" a swarm, I don't realize they can be happening/occuring. If I don't see bee hives - I figure there aren't bees. Where should I be putting traps? If I put out a nuc box - do I leave the top off? Inner cover off? All I have are frames of foundation right now. Will that work or should I leave the box empty until I "catch" something? I do have a friend working for Terminex that has me on speed dial for any swarm he comes across. =) What is it about the lemon grass oil that attracts the swarm/bees?
http://www.beekeepingforums.com/threads/5845-Swarm-Trap-Placement?highlight=swarm+traps Lemongrass oil can be found in health food stores or on the net.
Hey Crazy8, I put 4 or 5 drops on a paper towel and then put that inside a plastic sandwich bag (not zipped or sealed) and fold it over and tuck it in the back of my swarm box under the drawn out frames. I do that just once each season. I don't go back and rewet the lure. BUT>>>>>what do I know......I haven't caught me a swarm yet. :doh:Only had one out last year but have 5 out this year. Got my info from another forum on how much and how often ref: the LGO.
I used a Q-tip and added drops on both ends. Placed in the back of the box on top of the frames. Hey, BoilerJim did you get my priv. message on the other forum?
