Dead queens

[Finally Home]

Think I read somewhere that you can put a dead queen in a bottle with rubbing alcohol to create swarm lure.  Who all has tried this and how does it compare to lemongrass oil?? How much alcohol is used with one queen?

[Jen]

Uuuum, well I haven't heard this, but wouldn't the alchohol over power her scent?

[G3farms]

Enough to cover her body, think baby food jar.

Does it work, who really knows, kind of like using the spray on stinky stuff on fishing lures.

The alcohol will evaporate off leaving her smell behind, well that is the theory anyway. Like women's perfume, mostly alcohol with a little smelly stuff it.

Could put her in moonshine, kind of like the worm in tequila.

[LazyBkpr]

Might ask Don if you see him on chat. I believe I saw him recommend doing this on one of his videos. he may know more of the details.

[iddee]

An empty medicine bottle works fine. Fill it about half full of alcohol and keep it in your bee tool box. You can add more than one as the opportunity appears. More queens mean more pheremone. Yes, the alcohol evaporates and the queen smell "is said to" remain.

[blueblood]

I am going to stick with lemongrass oil.  The bottle with the queen would be one more thing to keep track of.  I am always losing my queen clip in my bee tool box.

[DLMKA]

I tried this in a plastic container and the alcohol evaporated through the container, must not have been rated for isopropyl alcohol. Switched to a 4oz jelly jar with mason lid and band. No idea on efficacy as a swarm lure, I only have 2 queen in there and haven't tried it yet.

[Finally Home]

Thanks everyone.  I have enough swarm box's to maybe try 2 side by side (or in close proximity of each other).  One with the lure here and one with the lemongrass oil.  Be interesting seeing how each does.  Thanks for the "plastic bottle" tip.  That's what I have sitting here to use.  I'll toss them and find glass.

[Finally Home]

Guess it should work. Here's a FatBeeMan video.

[LazyBkpr]

You tell em Don!
   Always good to watch Don's vids.

[tbonekel]

I am always losing my queen clip in my bee tool box.

Hey, that would make a great thread!  "Do you have a bee toolbox?" I don't, but I need to put one together now that swarm season is upon us. Last year, I got several calls while I was at my "day job" and didn't have any supplies to go and get them.

[Finally Home]

I am always losing my queen clip in my bee tool box.

Hey, that would make a great thread!  "Do you have a bee toolbox?" I don't, but I need to put one together now that swarm season is upon us. Last year, I got several calls while I was at my "day job" and didn't have any supplies to go and get them.

Well get the thread started   Sounds like a great idea.

[LazyBkpr]

A pic of one of my boxes all repainted and ready for the weather to warm up.. if it ever does... I am beginning to doubt it will happen!




   My page about what I use and how I do it,and I have a link to Rob's page at the very top.  There are pics of the swarm lure packet and lemon grass oil at the bottom of my page.
  http://outyard.weebly.com/swarm-trap.html

   Looking forward to getting pics and vids of swarms. Hoping for a DOZEN this year, but will settle for two or three 

  Forgot the link :(

[Finally Home]

Hoping for a DOZEN this year, but will settle for two or three 

Same here.  I have 15 box's ready.

[LazyBkpr]

I can usually count on cut outs if not swarms..  My price to do cut outs goes down drastically if I get no swarms or lose a lot of bees over the winter.

[Finally Home]

Never done a cut out yet.  I'm out 2 of 5 hives so far.  Counting on swarms.

[Slowmodem]

Never done a cut out yet.  I'm out 2 of 5 hives so far.  Counting on swarms.

This guy, John Pluta, cracks me up.  I want to go down there and meet him one of these days:

[Bakersdozen]

Thanks for the video FatBeeMan and Finally Home for posting.