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Author Topic: How to make swarm trap more attractive  (Read 1535 times)

Offline cheomar23

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How to make swarm trap more attractive
« on: July 21, 2020, 03:24:40 pm »
Bee colonies reproduce regularly by swarming. In harsh environments, they can also migrate quite often. So the easiest way to get new colonies in the tropics is to attract a wild swarm. A new hive is prepared for this by rubbing a bit of bee attractant on the inside. While there are commercially available attractants, some beekeepers use specific plants to attract swarms, such as the strong-smelling Ocimum kilimanjaricum, which grows in seasonal marshes, or the lemongrass. These plants are sometimes rubbed inside the hive, sometimes attached to the outside. Other plant substances are also likely to attract swarms, for example green mango cut and rubbed into the hive. Some beekeepers say that any plant with a lemon odor is attractive.
Waste from wax preparation can be boiled in water and brushed on inside the hive for a similar effect. Beekeepers in eastern Kenya attract swarms by coating a stick in propolis with special plants and rubbing the inside of an empty hive.
Any effective traditional method can be used to encourage bees to colonize a modern hive. Honey and sugar are not shown, however, as they attract mainly forager bees and other insects, which makes the hive unwelcome to swarms. Hives should be kept clean and dry because bees do not like moisture and mold. Those that have already been occupied are more attractive than the new ones.
Article source: Bee World
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https://www.beekeeping.world/