# Best lure



## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

What can be suggested as to best lure?

I see many out there but I’m not a bee so I have no idea what’s good.


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## Boondocks (Sep 16, 2020)

A couple of drops of lemon grass oil. If the timing is right, you could put up an empty box with new frames and catch a swarm. Bees are not that picky, they are looking for a new home. I've seen pictures of them in old fuel tanks, inside a recliner chair frame in a shack, and in brick porch columns. 
I've had 5 swarms in five traps in the last 3 years using lemongrass oil. Some took 3 weeks and some took two months.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

Have you seen where they scorch the inside of the wood box? If so what’s your opinion?


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## Boondocks (Sep 16, 2020)

Bill Dickerson said:


> Have you seen where they scorch the inside of the wood box? If so what’s your opinion?


I've heard of that being done to sterilize the box if there had been disease in the hive. I never heard of it being done for swarm traps.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

A video on YouTube shows this. The fella said it was an old timers trick. Supposedly mimics a burned out tree.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I'll go out on a limb and call BS on that. Stick with beeswax, propolis, and LGO to attract the bees. Save the scorching for sanitizing woodenware after a disease outbreak. If anyone can cite a study that shows that bees have a preference for burned out trees, please post a link.


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## Cobbler (Jan 6, 2021)

I burned the inside of my traps, because I have a blow torch and it only took a few minutes. I figured why not. In addition to smelling like a burned out tree, I liked the idea that maybe it would eliminate some of the new wood smell. I also use beeswax, propolis and LGO. I guess I’m willing to throw anything that sounds reasonable at it.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

Here is the video.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Unfortunately the computer I am using right now does not have audio, but the first thing that caught my eye was that his swarm traps are five frame nuc boxes. Did not really need to see much more after that.


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

+1 to JW - that inside burn is not a lure.


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

Bill Dickerson said:


> A video on YouTube shows this. The fella said it was an old timers trick. Supposedly mimics a burned out tree.


Waste of time. The bees don't care.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

fadder said:


> Waste of time. The bees don't care.


He related his grandfather showed him and old timers showed his grandfather. 
That’s a lot of experience being passed down.


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## Cobbler (Jan 6, 2021)

I have 6 new traps this year. I’ll skip the burn on those and see how it works out.


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## Murdock (Jun 16, 2013)

The burn may have been to melt old bees wax, that would add smell.


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

Bill Dickerson said:


> He related his grandfather showed him and old timers showed his grandfather.
> That’s a lot of experience being passed down.


All I know is with 8 traps last year I caught 14 swarms. None of the boxes were scorched.


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

I use one smelly dark empty brood comb with a drop or two of lemongrass oil at the back of the hive inside. I also leave a couple of empty frames in the center for them to festoon on. My best results have been from hives that had recently had bees in them. I have removed bees from an 8 frame deep or a 6 frame deep nuc for repair or they outgrew the box during prime swarm season and a swarm would move in a day or two later. Solid bottoms with not too big an entrance work better too.


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

ncbeez said:


> I use one smelly dark empty brood comb with a drop or two of lemongrass oil at the back of the hive inside. I also leave a couple of empty frames in the center for them to festoon on. My best results have been from hives that had recently had bees in them. I have removed bees from an 8 frame deep or a 6 frame deep nuc for repair or they outgrew the box during prime swarm season and a swarm would move in a day or two later. Solid bottoms with not too big an entrance work better too.


I do about the same. I put one frame of old comb, but I put it in the middle of the box. The other frames have fishing line in them. The boxes I use are 5 or 6 frame size but 20 inches deep.


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## Gray Goose (Sep 4, 2018)

1 or more old combs + Swarm commander, And I now use a "used hive body".
the ones I build in the winter are "swapped " in IE move the frames to a new hive.
take the old one with the old BB and lid add the combs and use as a trap.
seasoned by bees a year Woodenware seems to work the best for me.

GG


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## GregB (Dec 26, 2017)

Bill Dickerson said:


> He related his grandfather showed him and old timers showed his grandfather.
> That’s a lot of experience being passed down.


What really happened was - the grandfarther (and their grandfather, etc) most likely just burned inside the very well used hives.
That basically just refreshes the already present smell of wax and propolis.
Heck, I can also burn inside of my well used traps and then claim how the burn attracts the swarms.
But this has nothing to do with the burn, but has everything to do with the *previously used equipment.*
Pretty darn sure.

PS: the burn does have the sanitizing effect, which the bees care the least about.


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## Murdock (Jun 16, 2013)

I guess that if you have some bridge / burr comb attached to the box sides "scorching" could solve that problem.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

I’m not ready to discount what old timers say. Very often they know what they are talking about.
After all wisdom comes with age.


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## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

I wonder what odfrank would have to say about this. If there is anyone on Beesource who can give definitive advise on swarm trapping, he is the man. (But only because CharlieB isn't posting anymore).


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

I figure since I’m building new traps it can’t hurt. I can see where bees might like trees with a burned out hollow.


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## ifixoldhouses (Feb 27, 2019)

I just made a video, I caught 3 last year in these traps with Swarm Commander, never caught anything with LGO


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

GregV said:


> What really happened was - the grandfarther (and their grandfather, etc) most likely just burned inside the very well used hives.
> That basically just refreshes the already present smell of wax and propolis.
> Heck, I can also burn inside of my well used traps and then claim how the burn attracts the swarms.
> But this has nothing to do with the burn, but has everything to do with the *previously used equipment.*
> ...


I have seen lots of bee trees and can't remember a single one being burnt. My traps with new wood catch as many as old ones.


Bill Dickerson said:


> I’m not ready to discount what old timers say. Very often they know what they are talking about.
> After all wisdom comes with age.


This is true, however knowledge was passed down for years that the earth was flat.😁


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

All in all do what you think is right. There is more than one way to do things. What works for you someone else may have no confidence in.


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## Tim KS (May 9, 2014)

LGO is all I've ever used and usually caught a couple swarms a year. Got enough hives now so I haven't trapped in a couple of years. However, I did have a swarm move into a wooden nuc box inside my machine shed where I store my equipment while I was cleaning burr comb off of frames last year. I'd rather take a swarm off a tree branch before they find a better home. 

BTW, nicely done video. My only thought was to maybe secure the traps to the tree better to keep them from blowing down and shaking in the wind.


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Hmm... I wonder if I am old enough or have been doing bees long enough to do be an old time?


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## ncbeez (Aug 25, 2015)

Old timer


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## Murdock (Jun 16, 2013)

Catching swarms has got to bee one of the most exciting parts of beekeeping (except bees crawling up your leg when wearing shorts). You never know what you're going to get until you open the package. I put up my 1st one today... I just couldn't help myself...and it's early.


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## Bill Dickerson (Nov 8, 2008)

ncbeez said:


> Hmm... I wonder if I am old enough or have been doing bees long enough to do be an old time?


If you can’t remember I would think so.


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

Bill Dickerson said:


> If you can’t remember I would think so.


You must be you lost your er.😁


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## AR1 (Feb 5, 2017)

The very first swarm I got was into a 6-frame nuc I made from wood scavenged from a burnt barn. The inner surfaces were charcoal. I hang it out every year but have not caught another swarm in it yet.


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## b2bnz (Apr 5, 2009)

Recently saw a video called 'Russian Scion' where the bee keeper used all his old wax/propolis and old comb to make a swarm attractionate and use a bucket to trap the swarm. On You Tube, looks like it could work!


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## Gir (Oct 6, 2016)

Bill Dickerson said:


> What can be suggested as to best lure?
> 
> I see many out there but I’m not a bee so I have no idea what’s good.


For sure lemongrass works great, but one other thing which might bee as powerful/good is some nasty old dark comb. Not nice freshly drawn white comb, nasty old black comb. 
Check it out---I had this nuc box which I was using as my ~trash box, it had all kinds of dark comb, even dead brood in it... I also have plenty of perfectly good boxes outside set as swarm traps. The bees went into my nasty trash nuc. The only thing different about that box vs. my other swarm traps is it had nasty old comb in it.


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## spencer (Dec 7, 2004)

A couple squirts of Swarm Commander, an old brood frame and either a deep or a nuc box. Put them in the same place where you caught a swarm the previous years. For me it seems like the bees go to the same spots when they swarm. Or it could be just the Swarm Commander. Best $25 I spent!


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## 123989 (Jul 30, 2018)

b2bnz said:


> Recently saw a video called 'Russian Scion' where the bee keeper used all his old wax/propolis and old comb to make a swarm attractionate and use a bucket to trap the swarm. On You Tube, looks like it could work!


Why? I will stick with my swarm traps, when I catch a swarm I just move the frames out of it into my hives.


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

JWPalmer said:


> I wonder what odfrank would have to say about this. If there is anyone on Beesource who can give definitive advise on swarm trapping, he is the man. (But only because CharlieB isn't posting anymore).


Charlie learned every thing he knows about swarm trapping from me. He did beat at one competition we had.


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## aran (May 20, 2015)

i use swarm commander every year with good success.


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## CLSranch (May 15, 2017)

I've heard of flash burning the inside of hives when I first started wanting to keep bee's. He asked if did and I said I've never heard of it then he said his dad and grandpa always did and everyone the new. I read about it later, I think in a begineer beek book.


fadder said:


> All in all do what you think is right. There is more than one way to do things. What works for you someone else may have no confidence in.


And remember these good words of advice.


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