BUILD THEM AND THEY WILL COME?

Beekeepers love swarms. Well, that’s to say, as long as they come from somewhere else. Waving goodbye to half of a strong colony of bees isn’t a good way to start the day. Mystery swarms though offer two ways to increase your hives, and for free. There’s the more energetic method, of course, where you rush to a reported swarm only to find that they’ve already gone, or there’s the less intensive and sensible option, where you put the kettle on, sit back, and wait for them to come to you…

Every year, when swarm season comes around, we put out a few traps or ‘bait hives’ as they’re known. It’s very much like fishing, only for bees. Like fishing you need to know how to spot a good pitch, choose the correct sized tackle, lay a necessary scent trail, and of course, be patient. You can buy expensive proprierory Swarm Lures (that claim to mimic bee pheromones and boost your chances), but since these are just essential oil mixes, and we’re frugal, we go with some old beeswax comb and a swab of Lemongrass Essential Oil instead.

Ultimately we get good results, and hopefully, we’ll be able to show you soon.
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