Bob Fanning writes:
I too had planned to try swarm lure this Spring.   I did not expect to
attract any swarms from my own apiary because of the reluctance I seem to
see to settling close to the parent colony.   I was hoping to get a few from
other sources or from my yard if I placed the lure far enough from my
apiary.
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     The most recent _Gleanings_ magazine has an article on swarm decoy hives
by Roger Morse.  The article says nothing about pheromones.
      But it does give the ideal dimensions of a decoy hive:  one deep hive
body.
      The decoy has to be sealed so no light comes in around the lid.
       The decoy should be six feet or more above the ground, not in the sun
all day.
    Further, the article points out that decoy hives can be placed on top of
established colonies (not ones that are out in the sun).
        This article is worth reading; it says more than I have paraphrased
here.
 
       Decoys that work best for me are the ones that are sitting in a shed,
about six feet high, easily-visible (the article points this out), and in
morning sun but afternoon shade, about a hundred feet from the hives.
 
       I have used pheromones (from U of Kansas) and did not notice any
difference.  But I was not setting up similar decoys side by side with
pheromone on one but not the other.
 
       In my area, feral bees are a thing of the past (except just after
swarming season!).
Tim
Tim Sterrett
Westtown, (Southeastern) Pennsylvania, USA
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