Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Zinc on April 16, 2010, 10:35:27 pm
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Checked my 2 year old hives for the first time in a month yesterday - it had been so long since a clear weekend, I took the day off to check on them.
One hive good and progressing - the second hive PACKED with bees (never seen so many) and also, sadly, 6-10 queen cells throughout. Never seen a hive ready to swarm, but signs are overwhelming even to a novice like me.
Here's the inevitable list of questions for you guys: : )
Is there anything I can do other than watch and wait with a nuc ready to go out swarm hunting?
Should I try to split the hive before the swarm? Take the queen and some frames to the nuc but leave the queen cells?
Should I leave the hive alone until it swarms, or is inspecting it again this weekend ok?
Should I put a super on top? (The hive's ready for it, if the it wasn't about to swarm. : )
Should I feed the absconded hive after the swarm?
Again, it’s wonderful to have the “beemaster” community here – it’s an awesome resource.
Thanks in advance!
-Craig
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How many frames had the queen cells? Pull them, and put in a nuc. Put empty frames back in their place. Add supers. Put out a empty hive or two as bait hives for swarms.
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DO NOT remove all the queen cells. Remove the queen and a few frames of brood into a nuc or another hive.
If more than one frame has q-cells, you can also remove a frame with cells, a few frames of brood, and start another nuc.
BE SURE you leave a frame with q-cells in the original hive.
There is no keeping that queen in the old hive. You remove her or she swarms. If you remove all q-cells, she will swarm anyway, and leave the old hive queenless.
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Question - if you requeened with a fresh queen and pulled all the cells you could find and made sure there was room in the brood nest and space for honey above - would that keep them from swarming? Or is the swarm impulse in the workers unstoppable at some point?
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>Is there anything I can do other than watch and wait with a nuc ready to go out swarm hunting?
Yes. Split.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#swarmcontrol (http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#swarmcontrol)
What you should have done before...
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm)
>Should I try to split the hive before the swarm?
Yes.
> Take the queen and some frames to the nuc but leave the queen cells?
Why not give both sides some queen cells just in case.
>Should I leave the hive alone until it swarms
No. Split it.
> or is inspecting it again this weekend ok?
Inspect if you like, but I'd split it NOW.
>Should I put a super on top? (The hive's ready for it, if the it wasn't about to swarm. : )
That would have been a better idea sooner, but still won't always head off a swarm.
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#noswarmwithsupers (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#noswarmwithsupers)
>Should I feed the absconded hive after the swarm?
I assume you mean the hive that swarmed... I wouldn't. Why would you feed them? Are they starving? Is there anything blooming?
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#feedingcanthurt (http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#feedingcanthurt)