I have a few 5 gallon buckets of comb saved after cutting a hive out of a house. I've melted much comb into a block. I'd like to save some of the darker stuff for use in swarm traps. When I got to the task of cleaning up and storing the pieces things had gotten less pleasant. There was a large amount of dead on the combs and fermented nectar and bee bread in the combs . Opening the buckets lets out a potent stink. I sprayed the combs with water to remove the cells contents (pollen, larva, etc.). The nasty smell is mostly gone. Would these pieces still be attractive as swarm lures out have I killed the Snell?
any wax moth larva? any SHB or eggs larva? still freeze it then put it in your trap
jay
No pests to speak of. On fact, the hive hasn't had any measurable pest issues at all. Mite checks from sugar roll and sticky board always give 0 and I've only seen shb twice, but the shv traps are always also 0. I'll give them a shot after freezing. Thanks.