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Author Topic: Swarm control VS bee survival  (Read 8054 times)

Offline Eve Sylvia

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Swarm control VS bee survival
« on: March 30, 2007, 02:10:25 pm »
It seems to me that beekeepers are fixated on swarm control, and working the bees for maximum honey production above all else. Since we are faced with honeybee extinction, I think we should consider letting the bees do what they need to do. A swarm makes a new colony, after all. Just try to catch it, if you can, and let them thrive as best you can. With your help, feed and treatment.

I support the theory that bees have been weakened by decades of manipulative beekeeping, aimed at high production above all else. Why weed out the drones? We don't know all their function yet, but they are there for some reason. The same goes for queen rearing. Maybe in the wild, the mating occurs with a selection we haven't been able to match artificially. Lets all focus on healthier hives instead of high production for  a few years, until this crisis abates!!!

Offline Understudy

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #1 on: March 30, 2007, 02:21:11 pm »
It seems to me that beekeepers are fixated on swarm control, and working the bees for maximum honey production above all else. Since we are faced with honeybee extinction, I think we should consider letting the bees do what they need to do. A swarm makes a new colony, after all. Just try to catch it, if you can, and let them thrive as best you can. With your help, feed and treatment.

I support the theory that bees have been weakened by decades of manipulative beekeeping, aimed at high production above all else. Why weed out the drones? We don't know all their function yet, but they are there for some reason. The same goes for queen rearing. Maybe in the wild, the mating occurs with a selection we haven't been able to match artificially. Lets all focus on healthier hives instead of high production for  a few years, until this crisis abates!!!

Let me introduce you to one our members Michael Bush.  He has a very cool website that addresses just about everything you mentioned.
http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm

While I don't agree with 100% of what he says. I am inclined to agree with the majority of it. My biggest issue is he lives someplace where there is cold and snow and winter. So some of what he describes works well for those who have to winter bees. I on the other hand don't suffer from those ill effects of icy roads or horribly cold temps. So of what I have implemented from Michael works for me but for different reasons. I think Michael should move down here and not have to worry about scraping ice off his windshield and having to shovel his driveway.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Offline Mici

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2007, 02:24:26 pm »
like understudy said, or should i rephrase it, look around the forum, you'll find out that more than 50% of all ideas/answers/advice is headed "your way".

Offline Kathyp

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #3 on: March 30, 2007, 02:34:27 pm »
understudy won't mind if we let the hives swarm.  more fun for him!  :-)
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Mici

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #4 on: March 30, 2007, 02:38:02 pm »
understudy won't mind if we let the hives swarm.  more fun for him!  :-)
ahahaha, LOL and more material for the forum :-D

Offline Understudy

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #5 on: March 30, 2007, 02:38:16 pm »
understudy won't mind if we let the hives swarm.  more fun for him!  :-)

I have no desire to go to NY and freeze my buns off doing a cut out.

Sincerely,
Brendhan
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Offline Romahawk

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #6 on: March 30, 2007, 02:47:46 pm »
You could come up here a few days before or after the 4th of July, it should be in the high 70's to mid 80's then.....  ;)
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Offline KONASDAD

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #7 on: March 30, 2007, 03:14:44 pm »
swarms aonly occur in warm weather!!!!
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Offline Understudy

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #8 on: March 30, 2007, 03:18:53 pm »
swarms aonly occur in warm weather!!!!

Yeah but I never get swarms. I only get cut outs. By the time the swarm is discovered it has either moved or built 2000 cu ft of comb in a sophet :-P and made my job very umm interesting.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

PS. Also the idea of warm weather that you guys have and what I have is very different. If it is below 70F/21 C it is cold.
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Offline Robo

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #9 on: March 30, 2007, 03:46:13 pm »
It seems to me that beekeepers are fixated on swarm control, and working the bees for maximum honey production above all else. Since we are faced with honeybee extinction, I think we should consider letting the bees do what they need to do. A swarm makes a new colony, after all. Just try to catch it, if you can, and let them thrive as best you can. With your help, feed and treatment.

I think the use of "extinction" is a bit extreme,  unless your next step is to blame it on global warming and want to get them on an endangered species list to further the push for carbon credits :roll:

I also think it is a bit naive to think that if everyone just mismanaged their hives and let them swarm that everything would be fine.   The fact is that only 20% of swarms survive their first winter,  whereas a properly managed hive that does not swarm can easily produce one if not more splits. So proper management actually increase the number on hives more than mismanagement does.  Especially since splits get the "help, feed and treatment" you wish for and the swarm doesn't.
 
I support the theory that bees have been weakened by decades of manipulative beekeeping, aimed at high production above all else.

Where is the evidence to support this theory?  Are you talking large cell?  Because if so,  you obviously haven't read many post here.

Why weed out the drones? We don't know all their function yet, but they are there for some reason.

I've been on these forums since the beginning I don't recall any discussions about weeding out drones.  Yes there is discussion on using drone brood to reduce varroa,  but no discussions on weeding out drones.

The same goes for queen rearing. Maybe in the wild, the mating occurs with a selection we haven't been able to match artificially.

and maybe not

Lets all focus on healthier hives instead of high production for  a few years, until this crisis abates!!!


Like others have stated, if you had spent the time and look around these forums, you will see that 95+% of the folks here ARE focused more on healthier hives than high production.  In fact some are too focused and almost treat their bees as pets.

« Last Edit: March 30, 2007, 09:49:59 pm by Robo »
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #10 on: March 30, 2007, 03:48:41 pm »
As far as swarm control. Sometimes this includes making a split. This increases the number of bee colonies. But yes they are usually kept on the bee farm. One problem with letting them swarm is if you are in a people populated area, and the swarms moves into someones walls, they will come looking for you, the beekeeper. (Imagine running from crowds with torches and pitch forks.)
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Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #11 on: March 30, 2007, 03:52:08 pm »
The fact is that only 20% of swarms survive their first winter, 

What fact is that Mr. Robo?
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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #12 on: March 30, 2007, 04:02:34 pm »
this is like the breeding in the zoo argument  :-). also the natural horse argument.

good management of any resource is something to strive for.  nature is a nasty creature.  it's bloody and unforgiving.  with good management, we can improve on nature. 

Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Brian D. Bray

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #13 on: March 30, 2007, 08:44:20 pm »
Selective breeding can produce good and bad and bad results, it all depends in your objectives and the degree of understanding the breeder has of animal husbandry.

Look at all of the breeds of dogs in the world that started out from stock similar to coyotes in ages past.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #14 on: March 30, 2007, 08:59:46 pm »
>It seems to me that beekeepers are fixated on swarm control, and working the bees for maximum honey production above all else.

I'm not into honey production above all else.  Survival is a very nice trait.  But controling swarming is how I have the bees in my hives intstead of in the trees.

> Since we are faced with honeybee extinction

Who says we are faced with honeybee extinction?  I see more feral bees all the time.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm#feralbees

>I think we should consider letting the bees do what they need to do. A swarm makes a new colony, after all. Just try to catch it, if you can, and let them thrive as best you can.

But I could have done a split with the same result and much less chance of losing the swarm.

>With your help, feed and treatment.

I don't treat and I don't feed unless I have to.

>I support the theory that bees have been weakened by decades of manipulative beekeeping, aimed at high production above all else.

Certainly.  Especially when you keep propping up inferior genetics with chemicals.

> Why weed out the drones?

I never do.  As a matter of fact, it won't matter what you do you'll end up with the same number of drones.

Levin, C.G. and C.H. Collison. 1991. The production and distribution of drone comb and brood in honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies as affected by freedom in comb construction. BeeScience 1: 203-211.

So why waste your efforts and the bees efforts trying to change it?

> We don't know all their function yet, but they are there for some reason.

We probably don't know all their functions, but was certainly know some of them.  Among others, the colony will spend a lot of effort to get drones until they meet their quota, so one purpose is to satisfy that so the workers can do other things.  :)

>The same goes for queen rearing. Maybe in the wild, the mating occurs with a selection we haven't been able to match artificially.

I open mate and recommend it.  It's hard to beat survival for good genetics.  :)

> Lets all focus on healthier hives instead of high production for  a few years, until this crisis abates!!!

What crisis?  My crisis was over six years ago when I went back to natural cell size.

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Offline Kathyp

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #15 on: March 30, 2007, 09:47:55 pm »
Quote
Among others, the colony will spend a lot of effort to get drones until they meet their quota, so one purpose is to satisfy that so the workers can do other things. 


that brings to mind a question i had.  is there a correlation between the number of drones a hive produces and it's propensity to swarm?  if you observe a large number of drones, is that an indication of anything?

you have a lot of experience observing you hives.  is there something that clues you that it's time to do a split, or is it just based on your need....or that empty box sitting around?  :-)
Someone really ought to tell them that the world of Ayn Rand?s novel was not meant to be aspirational.

Offline Robo

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #16 on: March 30, 2007, 09:48:50 pm »
The fact is that only 20% of swarms survive their first winter, 

What fact is that Mr. Robo?

OK, so maybe fact wasn't the right wording.  I don't have access to my books right now, so I can't quote you were I read that.  But I can tell you that from experience of swarm calls that I have received late in the Fall and decide to wait until Spring, only about 30% survived.   Even at 50%, splits are still the better option.
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #17 on: March 30, 2007, 10:42:52 pm »
>is there a correlation between the number of drones a hive produces and it's propensity to swarm?

Not that I've observed.  But there is a correlation between the number of drones and swarm season.

> if you observe a large number of drones, is that an indication of anything?

It's swarm season or you have a drone layer. :)

>you have a lot of experience observing you hives.  is there something that clues you that it's time to do a split

From outside?  Not really.  Of course bearding is a sign they are either out of room or it's hot.

> or is it just based on your need....or that empty box sitting around?

I split if I catch them trying to swarm, but I try not to let them get to that point in the first place.  Mostly I split to make mating nucs that I eventually combine back into larger nucs.  :)

But splitting is how to get more hives without the risk of swarming.
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Offline thegolfpsycho

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #18 on: March 30, 2007, 10:58:19 pm »
My memory has been cheese clothed, but I think George Imrie is the first person I read mentioning a 20% survival rate of swarms.  That may not be accurate for an area in the bannana belt, but probably very high for areas in the northeast, Finland, and other places around the globe that experience long cold winters.  I can say that I honestly don't see many bees around here anymore.  We had a warm March, and I did catch a bee working a hummingbird feeder at a friends house in the mountains.  Definitely a honeybee, but this bee was tiny.   The house is at 8300 feet, and still has 3 feet of snow on the ground.  When it warms up, I'll be trying to track them down.  I can't imagine bees surviving that kind of winter at that altitude.  I would say the odds are much longer than 1 in 5.  I'll be pretty dissappointed if I track down someones bees on their deck.

Offline Jerrymac

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Re: Swarm control VS bee survival
« Reply #19 on: March 30, 2007, 11:17:53 pm »
OK I can be satisfied with the 20% thing being in a particular region. I just have a hard time imagining someone first knowing how many swarms there were over all of the country and then knowing how many died off and for what reason they died. This is when I find a lot of this "scientific" stuff hard to believe. Like saying the mites wiped out the feral population. First there is no way to know how many there actually were at any time. Then there is no way they tested every dead hive to see what caused the death of the hive. Besides not finding every dead hive in the country. But this is some of the stuff people keep spouting out as fact just because the scientific community said it.

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