Lemongrass Oil

[mudlakee]

I ordered a box of "FD BeeFrames" From SuperCell. While reading all the links I read to put" 1 small drop of LemonGrass Oil per  1 gallon of sugar water to be sprayed on the frames before installation" I understand the sugar water but not the Lemongrass oil. I understand it is a very small amount, but I read what it is used for also. Thanks  Tony   

[Michael Bush]

The bees are very attracted to the Lemongrass oil and it covers up the scent of the plastic.

[mudlakee]

Thank You very Much.  Tony

[KONASDAD]

or Honey-B-Healthy, a suplement w/ lemongrass oil, spearmint and some emulsifier. I use it in my sugar water too!

[Jerrymac]

I must have got the wrong lemongrass oil. The bees don't go anywhere near it.

[JP]

Have you all had the opportunity to stuff your face right into a swarm? You can literally smell the queen pheremone and it does smell like lemongrass oil. And Tony at some point soon in your beekeeping endeavors you will smell the alarm pheremone that has banana extract smell. Sniff, sniff, sniff your way to good beekeeping. :-D

[mudlakee]

I think I have smelled the banana smell. When I was younger I lived in the south and we moved hives at nite. It was not always pretty. I hope I never smell lots of things again, that might be one of them.  Thanks  Tony

[Robo]

From my experience,  spraying the new HSC with syrup/lemongrass oil to aid acceptance is minimal at best.  Letting them "bake" out in the sun a couple of days also helps get rid of the "plastic" smell.  But once again, it is minimal help (but easier :-\ )

[Cindi]

JP, what!!!!  You have actually stuck your face right into the middle of a swarm, are you crazeeeeeee?  I know that they say they are docile when swarming, but I think you must be totally off your rocker and now you have flipped your lid, just like my Husband and Kooder, to boot!!!!!

Mudlakee, that banana scent that you are speaking of is the scent of the alarm pheromone released by the Koschevnikov gland.  It is released when the bees are in defense mode, i.e., stinging

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koschevnikov_gland

Have a wonderful and beautiful day.  Cindi

[JP]

>JP, what!!!!  You have actually stuck your face right into the middle of a swarm, are you crazeeeeeee? ---Yes and yes. > I know that they say they are docile when swarming, but I think you must be totally off your rocker and now you have flipped your lid, just like my Husband and Kooder, to boot!!!!! ----Yes.

When the bees are in a cluster they are gentle because they have no hive to defend. I often put my nose right up into the cluster to smell the pheremone. I had a swarm I collected this season in the top of a chimney 42' up, and I was just sniffing away, you could really smell the Nasonov. I had to bear hug the chimney stack to get the swarm in a box. The queen was shy, but I did get her after several attempts of hide n' seek. Of course you have to be a little crazy to be bear hugging a chimney stack 42' up just for some bees, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love bees and am in my element when fooling with them. I am particularly fascinated with swarms, I just love swarm calls! That hive is doing just fantastic, it is a very strong hive. I have always had a good sniffer and love to smell things. Have a great day, JP.

[Michael Bush]

>You can literally smell the queen pheremone

Actually that's nasonov pheromone.

[JP]

Nasonov-pheremone secreted by the worker bees to orient returning foragers back to the colony. Your'e 100% correct Michael. Some of the suppliers call nasonov queen pheremone and for some reason I had this embedded in my brain.