Swarm lure spray CHARME DES ABEILLES 500ml

01 · WHAT IT DOES AND DOESN'T

It works on the scouts, not on the swarm

When a colony is about to swarm it sends out scouts to look for a cavity, and those bees assess several before deciding. The aerosol adds to your box the smell they associate with a liveable hive, and there its work ends: it does not attract swarms that have already chosen, and it does not make up for a badly placed trap. If the box sits at ground level, in full sun or freshly varnished, no spray will fix that.

02 · HOW TO APPLY IT

A short spray inside and at the entrance

Spray the inside of the empty nuc lightly — a couple of passes over the frames and one at the entrance — and repeat every 7 to 10 days while swarming lasts, because sun and rain take the scent away. One tip that multiplies the effect and costs nothing: put one or two dark drawn combs inside; the smell of old wax weighs more in the decision than any product.

03 · WHERE TO PUT THE TRAP

Height, shade and volume

Set it high up — as high as you can safely reach — steady, and in the shade through the hottest hours. And do not put it near another beekeeper's apiary: catching someone else's swarms is the quickest way to a problem with a neighbour. A box of around 40 litres with a small entrance is what scouts choose most.

04 · AFTER YOU CATCH ONE

Quarantine and varroa, in that order

A caught swarm is unknown genetics and unknown health. Take it to a quarantine apiary, watch it for a few weeks and treat it for varroa as soon as you can: with no capped brood, which is the state of a newly hived swarm, treatment is more effective than at any other time of year. It is the best window you will ever get with that colony.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

For outdoor use only. Shake the can before use, press in short bursts and clean the nozzle when you finish: that is what keeps the valve from jamming.