13 April 2024 · Le charme des abeilles.

Every now and then we get out the nuc hive and try our luck at catching a swarm by putting some drawn comb in it and using it as a bait hive. Two years ago I even made up my own artificial pheromone from shop-bought essential oils. Truth be told, I've never been at all successful, but why not give it a try if you have empty hives in the house doing nothing? A few weekends ago, I spent many hours sorting through the majority of the bee equipment I've collected here, finally constructing everything still in flat-pack form. Among the collection was a tube of le charme des abeilles, a scented paste that Thomas Apiculture claims will attract and direct swarms to a trap hive. The nuc is now out in the apiary, with le charme des abeilles spread over the entrance and a few old drawn-out frames. Time will tell whether any bees move in.