My understanding is that the swarm lures that are sold by dadant and others is not the queen pheromone but the nasanov gland pheromone from worker bees that is used to by workers normally to
"mark the entrance when a swarm is moving in; to mark a source of food . . . . ; to mark an aerial trail as a swarm is moving from its parent colony to a new home site" (italics quote from ABC & XYZ of Bee Culture).
Dadant's even calls it "Nasonov"
So, the lure is not a queen substance, but a worker substance that is what they release when they are fanning the entrance to a hive.
I think someone does make a queen pheromone substance, but that is used to try to anchor a swarm to a hive once they have moved in.
Swarm lures (from Dadant etc.) and lemon grass oil simulate queen pheromone. Why not use the real thing?
Scott
Of interest, as I read about pheromones, if bees are forced to walk on glass beeds and those glass beads are washed with alcohol, the alcoholic material placed on another object becomes attractive to bees after the alcohol has evaporated.
So I guess it isn't too far of a stretch to say that if queens are dunked in alcohol, the resultant alcohol might offer up some pheromones that would do something (maybe not attract a swarm, but possibly anchor a swarm?)