LEMON GRASS TO CATCH SWARMS?

[Michael Bush]

Ideal height is probably quite a ways up.  I try to put them as high as I can reach from a small 6 foot step ladder and they seem to work fine.

[BeeMaster2]

I try to reach the 15' up a tree and put a hook with a pulley and rope on it. That way I only have to climb a ladder 1 time. This way I can pull the trap up and if need be drop it down to replace the lemon grass baggie. I screw a hook into the trunk to give me a place to hold the rope.
Under one trap I have 2 hives that were caught above it, last year, and slowly lowered down. They face opposite directions. Then when they were ready I changed them for full 10 frame hives. I have another hive in my neighbors yard that we did the same thing. I just brought the traps back out, a week ago, because I am seeing a lot of drones.
Jim

[redhat]

I have planted lemon grass in my backyard and any time there is a swarm I just cut a bundle and rub it all over a nuc, the bees all come the nuc in a minute. This works for me every time.

[fshrgy99]

got mine at the health food store too :)

[Moots]

got mine at the health food store too :)

Same here...About 6 bucks for an ounce at the local health food store, and it was the better of the two varieties (100% citral)....Didn't think that was bad at all.

[Bee-Mover]

Lemon Grass essential oil work?

[Leather Jim]

Yep, that's the stuff

[Jim134]

Lemon Grass essential oil work?

This is my experience with lemon grass oil
If you use lemon grass oil do not use more than three drops if you use too much lemon grass oil it will drive the bee's away. You can renew about every three to four weeks.  The second dose I always one drop.


                       BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[Cedar Hill]

    I have used swarm traps with success every year, using lemongrass oil.   Cut a large party straw into 3" segments, fill them with a cotton ball or two imbued with lemongrass oil.   Staple it to the bottom several inches from the small two inch entrance.    It works.   ;)

[MikeTheBeekeeper]

This is my experience with lemon grass oil
If you use lemon grass oil do not use more than three drops if you use too much lemon grass oil it will drive the bee's away. You can renew about every three to four weeks.  The second dose I always one drop.


                       BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

Thanks for the information. Do you apply the drops to the entrance of the hive? Or frames inside?

I have many hives I can't use this year (trying to get all my hives on pallets and I have many with a bottom board built in), so I figured I can use them for swarms. A beekeeper places 1,000 hives here in the spring, I've caught several swarms I've been able to see from his bees.

[jayj200]

Down here before I started beeking I saw 4 different colonies in the water valve boxes. (all over the place)
trapping on the ground sounds good to me.
also I hear any places you have seen swarms before.
I will say this sounds like good advice.
4 swarms in the same tree out front 4 years in a row
after we started keeping bees 3 more swarms too high up in the tree 25 feet high, no ladders that tall
i must say those 3 were our wayward bees

jay

2 drops of lemon grass oil is not enough. 5 maybe too many

[jayj200]

on the ground here
in water valve boxes down here
hum earth equals insulation.
OH!
jay

wow were down here in south florida I feel like a stailion at the gate. can'bt wait.

[Jim134]

Thanks for the information. Do you apply the drops to the entrance of the hive? Or frames inside?

Inside on the top of the frame

There is another way you can do this get a small pill bottle the kind you get from the pharmacy put it in cotton ball  it will take about 3 to 5 cotton balls to fill up the bottle put in eight or ten drops now drill a small hole in the top of the bottle the smallest you can find in a drill index will work fine this will last about a month take the bottle and duct tape it to the top of the trap or on the high side hope this helps you



                          BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

[MikeTheBeekeeper]

Thank you Jim.

[BeeMaster2]

on the ground here
in water valve boxes down here
hum earth equals insulation.
OH!
jay

wow were down here in south florida I feel like a stailion at the gate. can'bt wait.

Keep one thing in mind. Those ground boxes are a favorite hive location for African Bees. Not so much european bees.
Jim

[jayj200]

tried it kind of sort of no luck

my mentor has caught many swarms using this method. "no need for queen lure".

my mentor down hea says "one or two drops is just not enough".

Kevin said " ya want to catch fish bait the hook well".

"use old comb for queen sent"

then on the inside of the box. "5 drops on the right side, 5 drops on the left side, and 5 drops on the inside top".

"all these applications made while that side or top is down. allowing the drops to absorb into the wood.
so as not to run or drip".

" put the nuc box together then set the trap".

jay

[Packrat3wires]

Lemon grass worked well for me this year in Kentucky.   More than 50% success rate with my trap hives!!!

[jayj200]

add some old comb to that
and you should have an attractive swarm box

[capt44]

I use Lemon Grass Essential Oil.
I get it from http://www.bulkapothecary.com/
I give $13.59 for a 16 ounce container which I will say will last a long time.
I am using the pressed fiber pots for swarm traps.
I glue a piece of old comb inside and alittle dab of lemon grass oil.
I only hang mine about 6 or 7 feet off the ground.
I put out 18 traps in town and have caught 19 swarms so far.
I had a total of 39 traps out.
The tornado back in April got some but I have caught in every trap.
The traps I used the pheromone attractant in never caught anything.
I still have 8 traps to bring in full of bees.
Here is a picture of of a couple.

[BeeMaster2]

Thanks Capt.
That is a great price for 16 oz. I just bought 2-2 oz bottles, on amazon, for more than that.
They have every oil essence there is.
Jim