Cutting queen cells, how effective as swarm prevention?

[Pi]

Last year I cut out queen cells in an effort to dampen the swarming urge of my bees.  But I'll admit, I didn't do it often enough and a couple of my hives swarmed anyway.  If I do it every week, and don't miss any, how effective will it be?
If they swarm, and I've cut all the queen cells out, I'm queenless.  Of course I may just put the queen cell frames in a nuc and raise a queen or two off to the side.  But what do you old timers think of this for keeping the bees at home?

[iddee]

>>>>If they swarm, and I've cut all the queen cells out, I'm queenless.<<<<

That's exactly what is going to happen.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#queencells
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesfallacies.htm#queencellsbad
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

[BjornBee]

I do not cut swarm cells out myself. But if I was, it helps to understand a few things about it.

Swarm prevention during swarm season, should be at least weekly (That is way to much for me) The reason being, IF...and I say "if" you do this as I am not promoting this in any way, you must cut them out prior to the cells being capped on day 9. The chances of stopping a swarm by cutting swarm cells go down to nothing, once the queen cells are capped.

Remember, the bees will take a 4 day egg (which is really a one day larvae) and raise a queen. So, for you to cut out uncapped queen cells, you only have a 5 day window.

One of the things to consider, is to just create an artificial swarm yourself. If you remove the old queen, a couple frames of brood, and some of the work force, you do several things. The hive just lost a queen, and therefore "thinks" the bees swarmed. You have opened up the brood chamber and alleviated any congestion, furthered along by the sudden loss of bees.

This allows you to reintroduce the old queen if the new queen fails or is killed. You can also take other queen cells out by the frame (I do not normally cut them) and requeen other dud hives or even start another nuc.

Keep in mind, once the queen cells are capped, the old queen may of stopped laying in anticipation of leaving. This dooms the hive in the situation the old queen swarms, as there may not be any viable eggs for the bees to even consider raising another queen in an emergency. So cutting out all the cell's after they have been capped, and then also losing your queen and half your bees, is about the worst possible outcome. Many of these hives become laying worker hives. Something I try to avoid at all cost.

[Understudy]

No, cutting queen cells does not prevent swarms. It creates queenless hives.

Dr. Ellis disagrees with me on this and says if you cut the cells before they are capped then it helps prevent swarms.

Sincerely,
Brendhan

[NWIN Beekeeper]

[Dr. Ellis disagrees with me on this and says if you cut the cells before they are capped then it helps prevent swarms.]

This wasn't my conversation, but I chance to guess that he meant that it would cease the immediate/pending swarm.
It does not relieve the cause or motivation that initiated the swarm in the first place.
So it only means that you have delayed the swarm by a queen rearing period.

It is much smarter to relive the pressures that are causing the swarm impluse.

And it would also be smart to utilize a 1st year queen that is more interested in establishing her colony and hoarding honey, then instinctively wanting to procreate by swarm (2nd+ years).

Try to beekeep by working on the cause of the problem and not by fire-fighting a situation and having a quick fix (you'll spend less time managing your bees and more time enjoying them!).

[Scadsobees]

Last year I caught my hive before they swarmed but after the queens were capped.  Great time for requeening other hives and getting splits!!

It is fun to watch a virgin flip her lid and hatch out.

[derrick1p1]

I cut out swarm cells on hives a few times last year until I learned my lesson.  Cutting queens cells creates queenless hives.  I now opt for swarm prevention and keeping the brood chamber open.

[Brian D. Bray]

A hive will swarm anytime between when the 1st queen cell is capped until after the the 1st virgin queen begins piping.  That's a range of 7-10 days.  So removing queen cells is chancy at best and tilted towards going queenless. 

I agree that removing queen cups or cells prior to capping will delay a hive from swarming but the way to prevent a swarm, once queen cells are noted (cups with eggs or later) is a controlled split.  Once there's queen cells the only way to stop it is with a natural or artificial (split) swarm.

 

[Pond Creek Farm]

I tried the whole cutting thing, and regretted it.  I wound up queenless and the bees could not produce honey last year.  I lost that hive this winter.

[Michael Bush]

But what if you cut out a bunch that weren't and missed the one that was... and worse, the one that was doesn't emerge...