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How to Convince Bee Swarms to Come to Us ! We have been intrigued by the idea of using scented lures to persuade swarms of bees to take up residence in our beehives. There seems to be agreement on the fact that Lemongrass Oil is a good attractant, but the rest of the recipe has seemed confusing. Of course, the bee equipment suppliers also offer lures, but their prices seem very high. Pure Lemongrass Oil is readily available, even on www.amazon.com, and it is not very expensive. The remaining constituents are relatively easy to obtain. The recipe that we used follows: Carefully heat 2 ounces (¼ Cup, liquid measure) of Beeswax in 1 Cup of Canola Oil until the wax is melted, and mix thoroughly. As this mixture cools, but just before it hardens, add about 20 drops of Lemongrass Oil, and mix well. Immediately, pour the liquid into glass containers with tight lids. Note: If the liquid mixture is too warm, the Lemongrass Oil will evaporate and be lost! A few “dabs” of this mixture on the interior of an empty beehive should convince swarm scouts that they have found a nice hive into which their swarm should move. We and one of our friends have some select locations in which to try catching swarms this year, and we hope this scented lure will help us to easily capture some swarms. |