Oil of Cloves

[rockdoc]

I'm sure i read somewhere this oil is good for masking the scent of a hive when working many at the same visit. Has anyone here tried it and, if so, how did they use it?

 

[richardbees]

heavily diluted e.g. one drop to a pint of water in a 'mister' Spray in the air and if you can smell it, it's enough.

I use Vanilla essence and also have a can of Airwick air freshener - recommended by someone on here! Regularly suggested is Olbas oil.....

 

[drstitson]

clove oil can also be put in sugar solution used when trying to track down feral colonies - the scent is so strong returning bees quickly recruit fellow hive mates to return to your source.

 

[madasafish]

Olbas Oil which I use contains oil of cloves.

Stops the bees thinking I's a bear..

 

[Sean.]

Tesco black gloves work great, as you can wash them between hives. So you get the hygiene and no smell.

 

[itma]

A wipe with a rag (with a few drops of clove oil) is better than smoke at covering up sting pheromones - so one sting doesn't become several.

I have one extremely nervous colony. For example, any frame bumping sets them off much more than not just my others, but I think any others that I've met.
Point is, that with them, I've taken to washing gloves and hive tool after every couple of frames, to keep them disinterested.
Clove oil wiping of clean gloves before starting that hive was not enough to get them to leave my fingers alone.
Incidentally, this queen was fine previously and the 'nervousness' has only appeared after an A/S and combination with a Q- (single QC failed) rump from another A/S. Hope their high strung nature doesn't lead to Q being balled. (Saw her at the weekend, so she is coping.) I'm going to live with it for another month before making any "life-changing" decisions.

 

[rockdoc]

Thanks for the replies. Like many of you, I'm trying to find a reliable smoke alternative and this oil may help. But it appears that the huge variables encountered in any apiary may not allow us a definitive alternative. The search continues.........

 

[enrico]

I have a friend who uses the dried stalks of lemon balm in her smoker and swears by it, not an alternative to smoke but a nice smell! And apparently has a huge calming effect on the bees

 

[madasafish]

Gin calms me.But does nothing for the bees.

 

[beeno]

Gin calms me.But does nothing for the bees.

Switch to rum then you can add the cloves - something for you and the bees.