Lures Contain a scent (pheromone) which honeybees use to communicate. This lure duplicates the scent that scout bees release when they find a good home for their swarm. The lure is made up of 3 components found in nasonov pheromone proven most effective by USDA research, including a carefully determined blend of additional known honeybee attractants. This is NOT the small sized lure that is sold commercially which is in a tiny vial that contains about 5 to 8 drops of pheromone. This lure contains apx. 65 ml. of pheromone lure (apx 15 drops), enough to last for at least a season or two if properly stored.

You must place a small needle hole in the lid to allow sufficient pheromone to emit from the device. This hole can be sealed when not in use using a drop of beeswax. Position the bait hive lure (plastic vial) into swarm trap, wired or stapled about 2 inches above the entrance hole, and place on hive stand or in a tree, etc. When not in use, store sealed in a ziplock bag placed in the refrigerator (NOT in the freezer).

super) or greater in volume are highly attractive.

landmarks and objects that serve as points of interest for scouting bees.

Select a site in the shade 40-100' from the apiary toward the direction of the prevailing wind (usually to the SW) and hang the lure on a thick dark tree limb or clump of branches or other good cluster site for a swarm. These sites should be 6-10' above ground and should be selected so that it is easy to remove the swarm. In the absence of suitable trees and shrubs try hanging a dark piece of wood of carpet on a post. This will provide a dark outline which, when combined with the pheromone seems to aid the tendency for the bees to land.

Although most swarms will readily march into a hive you have provided. Occasionally, the workers are reluctant to move into a new home. To speed the orientation to new quarters, dip a tooth pick and smear one drop of the pheromone on the front of the box just above the entrance and smear a second drop inside the box toward the back. Then, depending on the circumstances, move the swarm to the box. The bees should start their own scent fanning within a few seconds and begin moving into the box.

When establishing small nucleus colonies for queen mating, a problem frequently encountered is drift. Some nucleus colonies will be left without bees while others accumulate large numbers. These problems can be avoided if a drop of Nasonov pheromone is placed inside of each nuc box moments before the bees are added. Dip a toothpick into the vial of pheromone for 3-4 seconds and then drop the toothpick into the nuc box before adding the bees.

The pheromone output of young queens and some older queens can sometimes be so low that the bees are slow to orient to the new queen. (The workers themselves can be slow to respond if cold, very young. etc.). To facilitate introduction of virgin queens into nucleus colonies (if you are not using cells) or mated queens into established colonies. Dip a toothpick in the pheromone and then rub the toothpick across the screen front of the queen cage. This will work best if your colony has been queenless for a few hours (dequeen in the morning and requeen in the afternoon). While dequeening do not leave the old (dead) queen in the hive. If you dequeen and requeen a few hours later with the pheromone, you should not have to remove the workers from the queen cage.