Virgin Queen tincture

[DorsetB]

I was looking for something else on Dave Cushman's site, and came across this:

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/swarmlures.html

Swarm lure made from unwanted queens... This method came from Dee Lusby and was developed from an idea of Butler.

Dee's method... Is to take unwanted queens, not old ones that are about to expire, but viable young or virgin specimens and steep them in a jar of alcohol. Dee comments "The alcohol really takes on a good color if left for years with queens submerged within. Also, we get more scouting bees with virgin queen lure and more drones in swarms that are eventually hived."

I have tried various swarm lures in the past, both purchased and home made: success rate was variable at best.

I still find the best lure is a frame of brood, but there are times when this is impractical.

Has anyone on the forum tried this?

 

[DorsetB]

Bump...100 views and no clues?

Anyone?

 

[bignikki]

Bump...100 views and no clues?

Anyone?

No, never tried it. It sounds feasible though.
Bees are V. sensitive to smells. Esp. the Q substance.
I don't think virgins have a strong smell though. Ie. When hiving a cast it takes the bees a bit longer to find her.

 

[blackcavebees]

Saw this idea a few times, different places but never tried it. YouTube has an old American guy you swares by it. Ran it past one of our local "old guys" who laughed. Might be worth a go ....

 

[oliver90owner]

I still find the best lure is a frame of brood

A typo, I'm sure, but new beeks had better reed it the way it wus ment!

 

[DorsetB]

I must have had a harder day than usual - reread it three times and still can't see the typo (?). Please to assist.

 

[FreeFall]

I must have had a harder day than usual - reread it three times and still can't see the typo (?). Please to assist.

Don't you mean an old brood frame? If not, how do you keep a frame of brood viable in a bait hive with no bees in it?

Edit - OK, maybe you are talking about getting a swarm into a box as opposed to leaving a bait hive out for a passing swarm. Been a hard day here too...

.

 

[DorsetB]

Aaah, I think I see where the discrepancy lies. I should have clarified:

1) yes, an old brood frame when used in a bait hive for an indeterminate amount of time

2) a frame full of brood on the end of a pole when trying to catch a swarm which has just swarmed eg into a tree - but only if the weather is warm & sunny.

 

[jackbee]

Was talking to another beek who keeps old Qs in freezer and during swarm season, defrosts some and squishes them onto a post to act as swarm bait.

 

[Poly Hive]

Dee Lusby is not a source I would lean on.

Having said that there is potential merit in the method but never having had a spare virgin to squish no I have not tried it.

PH

 

[Polyanwood]

I have tried keeping dead virgin queens in the freezer and I had a go at using them to help me find queens in the days when I couldn't do so reliably. I would place them on top of the brood nest and wait for the queen to come up and have a look. It worked a bit, but I didn't like the way the bees behaved when they smelled the fresh frozen queen - they frothed with rage, so I stopped.

I also tried the swarm lure made from queens. It didn't work for me, but perhaps there were no swarms around locally that year.