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Subject:
From:
James Fischer <[log in to unmask]>
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Date:
Thu, 22 May 2003 00:20:32 -0400
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Robin said:

> The more trouble it is however the less I feel
> inclined to spend my time at my risk for most
> often a poor lot of bees.

Ignoring the obvious question as to why anyone
who's free time was so scarce would have time
to keep bees at all, let alone go chasing after swarms...

...how about at least leaving behind a "kill bottle"
with one of the queen mandibular pheromone or
nazarov pheromone lures?  Easy to make from a
2-liter soda bottle, and "stragglers" can be just
as scary as the full swarm to people who are suddenly
more aware of bees than they ever have been before.
While this seems cruel, the stragglers are doomed
anyway, so this at least limits their period of
confusion.

  Spray-paint exterior of bottle black, cut a
  1-inch hole just below the neck of the bottle.

  Hang lure on a string, punch hole in cap,
  insert string, tie a knot so that lure hangs
  1 inch from cap.

  Fill 1/2 full with water, cap bottle.

  Suspend bottle with string or duct tape.

  Later, return, remove bottle, wash out.  Lure can
  be reused.

But most "clients" invite me in for a drink while
the bees sort themselves out and find their way
into the transport package, so I will hoist the
transport package close to the swarm's original
cluster position if tree limbs allow.  (Yet another
reason to abandon woodenware for cardboard boxes for
"rescuing" swarms.)

Join the ASPCA today! (The American Society for the
Plundering of Clusters of Apis).

                jim

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