Regarding Queen Mandibular Pheromones and attracting swarms, on 25 May 2003, Jim Fischer wrote:

There are those that say that Nazarov pheromone can attract
swarms to traps, and quite a bit of it gets sold, much of it
with swarm traps, but I don't know of any studies that showed
any statistically significant advantage over traps baited with
"old comb".  I also don't know of any studies that showed any
statistically significant advantage to using old comb as "bait".
I bait my homebrew traps with "old comb" (hey, it is free...),



Jim, I can direct you to an article I authored in the March 2002 American Bee Journal, Volume 142, Number 3, pages 174-177.  You'll find the references and scientific information for the superiority of pheromone lures over old, dark comb to attract swarms.  But if old comb works for you, more power to you!

Using old comb, how is your success rate in attracting swarms?  As we know, bees "in the wild" find all kinds of great places to make a new home without bait combs and without pheromone lures.  I'm sold on lures, however.  I've tried traps with comb and no lures, but the bees always prefer traps with lures.

Also, I don't use those "bucket" traps.  All the bees' energy directed to building comb goes for naught as you transfer them to a standard hive body.

Grant

Jackson, MO









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