Why does queen pheromone attract swarms?

[Bill W.]

Swarms aren't attracted to existing hives, so why does queen pheromone attract them to a swarm trap?

[Michael Bush]

There are two smells that hold a swarm cluster together and help them organize and draw them.  Nasonov (as in lemograss essential oil) and QMP (Queen Madibular Pheromone).  If you catch the queen in a swarm and move her a quarter mile from the swarm, they will find her and move there.  That's how strong their sense of it is.  So QMP in a bait hive attracts the interest of any passing bee and, so of course, it attracts the interest of the scout bees.  It's also a smell they LIKE, so I would guess it also improves their "feelings" about the place.

[heaflaw]

I've had sucess with purchased pheronome lures but not lemon grass oil.  If I use both together in an empty box with old comb, will I have better success? 

[bassman1977]

I saw something on Animal Planet where they demonstrated how the QMP attracts the swarm.  He was a good ways away from the hive and sprinkled pheremon on himself and before you knew it, he had a bee blanket.  It was neat.

[SgtMaj]

So where do you get QMP? 

[Michael Bush]

>I've had sucess with purchased pheronome lures but not lemon grass oil.  If I use both together in an empty box with old comb, will I have better success?

I've bought the commercial lures and the lemongrass oil.  I see the same results with either.

QMP can be bought as "bee boost" from Mann Lake. It's in the queen rearing section of the catalog.  It comes in like plastic tube shaped pieces. I cut a piece into fourths or so and staple them in bait hives with lemongrass oil sometimes.  It improves the success rate.  Another way to get it is to dispose of old queens in a jar of alcohol and then use a few drops of the alcohol for lure.