The dirty deed is done!

[alynewbee]

Feeling sad, did a combine today and killed my old queen. She's now in my freezer as swarm lure for next year.

 

[Tom Bick]

The queen is dead long live the queen

 

[coraesgairwen]

How do you use her as swarm lure - won't she go off !!

 

[gatley]

How do you use her as swarm lure - won't she go off !!

Thats what I was going to ask as well !

 

[Alabamaeee]

There are some who swear by smearing the dead Queen on a tree or post, and finding swarms attracted to it for years.

 

[huntsman666]

Swarms by definition have their own queen so how does that work if at all?

 

[alynewbee]

Don't really know how (or if) it works - but guessing no harm in trying. Her remains are in a ziplock in the freezer - good job I'm the only one that goes in there - and next spring I'm planning on mushing her on a nice accessible branch. Can't be less successful that this season's swarm lure. Swarms attracted? Zero!

 

[huntsman666]

Hope it works for you and doesn't send out the message; 'Stay away from here girls, there's someone around that will beat you to a pulp,' LOL.

 

[For want of a better word]

I prefer to see them stuffed and mounted !


or like the old ladies monkeys... just holding hands will do !!!!!

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Someone once told me (I think it was our bee inspector) that you can use a dead queen to locate the live queen in your colony.
You put the dead queen onto a frame, wait 30 mins, and apparently the live queen will then be on the same frame.
Never tried it myself.

 

[keith pierce]

There are some who swear by smearing the dead Queen on a tree or post, and finding swarms attracted to it for years.

i tried that this year. I smeared 5 queens under the one branch and nothing happened. swarms in every other apple tree in the orchard. So that puts paid to that mit for me

 

[alynewbee]

Someone once told me (I think it was our bee inspector) that you can use a dead queen to locate the live queen in your colony.
You put the dead queen onto a frame, wait 30 mins, and apparently the live queen will then be on the same frame.
Never tried it myself.

Well there you go, who'd have thought it? Remember that book, 101 uses for a dead cat? Maybe there's a follow up 101 uses for a dead queen? (sits back and waits for the wags and wits among us to come up with their suggestions)

 

[oliver90owner]

I smeared 5 queens under the one branch and nothing happened.

Could be more than one reason for that.

No swarms.

Did you do it after checking with the dowsing rods? Ley lines may be more important than a squashed queen.

There may be other, better 'marked' spots around.

I know of one small area where multiple swarms have settled. Not always the same bush but within a metre; low to the ground (about 400mm, perhaps less). I intend to dowse that particular patch at some time.

RAB

 

[Vergilius]

No swarms.

Errm I think that "swarms in every other apple tree in the orchard" answers this one!


Ben P

 

[oliver90owner]

You're right. Missed that!

Regards, RAB

 

[Winker]

I intend to dowse that particular patch at some time.

RAB

Remember to use copper dowsing rods they work better, and try dowsing in a group. I hear it has more success

 

[drstitson]

"swarms in every other apple tree in the orchard"

well it seems that the smeared queens x5 were VERY successful at attracting swarms to the orchard (just not to the tree concerned).

Sounds like lots of bait hives needed next year.

 

[keith pierce]

well it seems that the smeared queens x5 were VERY successful at attracting swarms to the orchard (just not to the tree concerned).

between 25 and 30 colonies in the orchard, so there was no outside attraction.