Top 10 Swarm Attractants
1. Lure (pheromone)
Lure can be purchased at most beekeeping supply stores.
2. Lemon-grass Oil
Lemon-grass Oil is available at most health food stores in the aroma therapy sections, and smells a lot like the lure you by at the beekeeping supply stores.
3. Lemon Pledge
Smell just like Lemon-grass Oil. So don't spray lemon pledge on the side of your house if there is a swarm of bees nearby.
4. Old Comb
Beekeepers best friend for catching swarms a little lemon-grass oil and an old frame of brood comb equals free bees for most beekeepers. So if all the comb is not removed during a bee removal your house has a flag telling bees to come on in.
5. Previous Swarming Location
Swarms seem to land in the same spots year after year. So if you had a swarm on your tree once most likely it will happen again.
6. Smell of Bees Wax
Bees like bees wax no big surprise. So don't coat the hope chest with bees wax and leave it outside in spring.
7. Southern Facing Entrance
Evolution has dictated a preference for southern facing entrances to protect for the cold northern winds.
8. Entrance Six to Ten Feet above the ground
Evolution installed this preference as protection from predators.
9. Vacant Space the Size of a Nuc or larger
A nuc is 19 x 9 x 10 or about one cubic foot of space. This is on the small side for a honey bee hive but all honey bees will build in a space this small. African honey bees will build in smaller spaces than the European honey bee. African honey bees have been known to inhabit things as small as bird houses.
10. Place most inconvenient for Beekeepers and Homeowners
As always nature cares very little what man thinks or wants and in most cases will do the opposite.
1. Lure (pheromone)
Lure can be purchased at most beekeeping supply stores.
2. Lemon-grass Oil
Lemon-grass Oil is available at most health food stores in the aroma therapy sections, and smells a lot like the lure you by at the beekeeping supply stores.
3. Lemon Pledge
Smell just like Lemon-grass Oil. So don't spray lemon pledge on the side of your house if there is a swarm of bees nearby.
4. Old Comb
Beekeepers best friend for catching swarms a little lemon-grass oil and an old frame of brood comb equals free bees for most beekeepers. So if all the comb is not removed during a bee removal your house has a flag telling bees to come on in.
5. Previous Swarming Location
Swarms seem to land in the same spots year after year. So if you had a swarm on your tree once most likely it will happen again.
6. Smell of Bees Wax
Bees like bees wax no big surprise. So don't coat the hope chest with bees wax and leave it outside in spring.
7. Southern Facing Entrance
Evolution has dictated a preference for southern facing entrances to protect for the cold northern winds.
8. Entrance Six to Ten Feet above the ground
Evolution installed this preference as protection from predators.
9. Vacant Space the Size of a Nuc or larger
A nuc is 19 x 9 x 10 or about one cubic foot of space. This is on the small side for a honey bee hive but all honey bees will build in a space this small. African honey bees will build in smaller spaces than the European honey bee. African honey bees have been known to inhabit things as small as bird houses.
10. Place most inconvenient for Beekeepers and Homeowners
As always nature cares very little what man thinks or wants and in most cases will do the opposite.