lemon grass oil as swarm lure?

[RosieMc]

Has anyone used lemon grass oil as a successful swarm lure? Someone asked the same question last year, but I cannot find any results, or if it attracted any swarms.

I've just bought some lemon grass pure essential oil for £3.29 from the local health food shop and am thinking of trying it out in a bail hive whilst I am away on my jollies.

I though of filling up one of those tiny glass sample perfume vials which only holds about 2 mls. Hint - the container needs to be glass as pure essential oils can melt plastic as the top of my old TV will testify

At this price, it must be cheeper than the commercially sold swarm lure.

 

[Heather]

Yes it does seem to work- well one out of three bait hives collected a swarm - all had this oil in- just a couple of drops - smell lasts for weeks!

 

[sputnam]

I use it - swarms move in. they also move in when I don't use it. No Idea if it really helps.

 

[viridens]

I believe that snake oil works too.

 

[viridens]

On a more serious note, I seem to remember that propolis (maybe on old hive bodies and frames) was found to be the best natural/easily available attractant in trials. Can anyone confirm?

 

[For want of a better word]

I believe that snake oil works too.

If the lemongrass ( and it has to be the right kind of lemongrass!) has been extracted with an alcohol, it has no place in a bait sausage, steam distilled Cymbopogon citratus is expensive but works... that snake oil adds an additional pheremone, but be warned can attract the wrong kind of bee

I have baited four bait hives so far this year and have had four swarms move in.
I think it is down to preparation and positioning of the hive as much as the secret stuff in my Grandad's famous recipe.

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WARNING .... Do not use Tiger Balm...... unless you want Chinese wasps

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

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WARNING .... Do not use Tiger Balm...... unless you want Chinese wasps

The same warning goes, presumably, for Brut?

 

[sputnam]

Old black brood frames with plenty of propolis work well for me. I suspect it's the smell of these that attracts the scouts.
I've written a basic guide to using bait hives which is on the WCBKA website at:
http://westcornwallbka.org.uk/activities.shtml

 

[Hivey League]

I've used lemon grass oil and it seems to work a little,but not as well as old comb does,IMHO the bees seem to prefer it over the lemon grass oil.

 

[RosieMc]

Old black brood frames with plenty of propolis work well for me. I suspect it's the smell of these that attracts the scouts.
I've written a basic guide to using bait hives which is on the WCBKA website at:
http://westcornwallbka.org.uk/activities.shtml

Thank you Sputnam - good tips. I will have a look and see if there are any old frames not being used in one of my hives.

 

[For want of a better word]

The same warning goes, presumably, for Brut?

 

[busybee53]

My bee buddy and I both stacked supers with foundation just outside our back doors. We each had quite a tall stack, together with floor/roof etc as we were saving the equipment for when we wanted to do an AS.

They wern't supposed to be bait hives. I saw the scouts and restacked to make sure they couldn't get in at the bottom. I know swarms are good but not when you have no extra equipment and no apiary space.

My buddy didn't see her scouts and the bees had sent for back up by the time she opened her back door. They all went into her house. What I'm trying to say is foundation seemed to do the trick to attract them.

 

[For want of a better word]

Not a swarm looking for a new home... but a mob of robbers no doubt!!