Successful Swarm Luring

[Country Heart]

What has worked best for you?

[BlevinsBees]

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]

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

[Indiana Dave]

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

[jaseemtp]

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

[tefer2]

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]

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]

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

[beyondthesidewalks]

LGO is the silver bullet for me.

[CapnChkn]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

[beyondthesidewalks]

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

[hardwood]

Ebay has the cheapest LGO.

Scott

[BlevinsBees]

$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]

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]

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

[AllenF]

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.