Anti-swarming system - too good to be true?

[Beezer]

This:

http://tinyurl.com/3m9ernw

from Mod Beek caught my eye but would greatly appreciate expert opinions from Hivemaker, Polyhive, Finman, Rooftops and any thoughts please.

As they are in professional use in Finland, they seem to be the answer to the eternal problem.

Is that really the case?

Is it unhealthy for the bees - bit like battery farming?

 

[amyleighhoney]

I really don't like the idea of trapping anything. Although i found the blog post a little hard to understand so maybe i didn't quite get the concept.

 

[enrico]

I've looked into it quite a lot and am going to try it this year with a modified wooden national hive. I don't see why it wouldn't work

 

[Hivemaker.]

Would work fine for a short term fix, so as not to lose a queen while away on holiday,but the bee's would still be swarming,usually every day, and returning each time when they realize the queen is not with them.
The swarming impulse needs to be satisfied really to keep them happy and productive,and that is not done by trapping the queen,and the swarming season in this country is a long one compared to Finland. A lot of pollen must end up on the floor as well. There are easy ways to trap a queen if that is all thats desired,without any modifications.
But better to work with the bee's than against them...they usually win in the end. Clip the queens and do regular inspections.

 

[Poly Hive]

I just see a frustrated colony and I suspect as soon as they device is removed then they are off....

What are the virgins going to do I wonder? Murder each other and quite likely the queen as well.

I will just trundle on as I have.

PH

 

[rowbow]

With a wooden national you could mod a queen exc to a snelgrove type opening, a larger opening would be better.

John http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

 

[BBG]

No, I'm going down the Polystyrene hive route but didn't like the thought of interfering in that way.

 

[Finman]

.
It has been huge debate here about "queen up method". It means that the queen lays in uppermost box above the excluder. The queen is in prison and that is why swarms cannot leave the hive.

Thre are variations about system. It is essential that when the brood box is full. You put the queen lay in foundation box. When bees are obliged to draw foundations, it hinders swarming fever.

One system is to let the queen lay normally, and before swarming period queen will be put in prison during mid summer.

Jee. I do not like this.

 

[enrico]

Hivemaker
Tell me how a clipped queen who leaves the hive and dies is better for the colony then a trapped queen who can't leave the hive, seems like a contradiction to me!!
E

 

[Finman]

.
If a new beekeeper goes to holiday and he is not watching his hives and it is a goodd swarming time, he may prevent swarm escaping with false swarm. When foundation are drawn, swarming feves is gone.

Experienced beekeepers are better to stay home nursing their hives and wife at work earning money to family. No holidays in summer.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Enrico, i would much prefer the clipped queen to leave the hive and die,than lose most of the bee's with her,and the potential honey crop, i can very soon add a new queen, no problem.

 

[Finman]

Hivemaker
Tell me how a clipped queen who leaves the hive and dies is better for the colony then a trapped queen who can't leave the hive, seems like a contradiction to me!!
E

you may do as you like.
You need not use either

 

[DarynWebb]

I might be way off the mark here as a noob who has no bee's yet, but the queen slims down right for her flight? is there a chance she could fit though the QE?

 

[richy]

I might be way off the mark here as a noob who has no bee's yet, but the queen slims down right for her flight? is there a chance she could fit though the QE?

i was thinking that two because all of the beekeepers that i know say that it wouldnt matter if you put a queen excluder by the entrance as she slims down to get into flying condition.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Abdomen yes,but not her thorax.

 

[DarynWebb]

Abdomen yes,but not her thorax.

ah makes sense, what about the drones wont they get stuck too?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Yes the drones get stuck and die if left excluded too long,plus not a lot of cop if you rear lots of queens.

 

[nottingham]

.
Experienced beekeepers are better to stay home nursing their hives and wife at work earning money to family. No holidays in summer.

The wife has found this comment funny. I still go on holiday in the summer months. We just go on 2 to 4 day holiday and a week to 2 week holiday from October onwards, if we have the money for a holiday that is lol

New beeks that think they can drop there new found hobby and the bees will be fine while they lap up the sun in Spain say, really don't understand beekeeping.

Yet I understand some beeks are happy with trapping the queen for two weeks but I wouldn't be happy with doing it myself.

I have commented on another thread about how you could trap the queen http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=9787 yet other members assumed I did the practice myself lol I think we may have to just except that some beeks are happy to put the queen under this kind of stress and leave it at that. Beeks that go through there hive up to 3 times a week stress out the queen to much and then for them to just swan off on holiday for two week, well all to there own.

Duncan

 

[Skyhook]

The wife has found this comment funny. I still go on holiday in the summer months. We just go on 2 to 4 day holiday and a week to 2 week holiday from October onwards, if we have the money for a holiday that is lol
Duncan

As I understand most bee farmers operate a 10-day inspection cycle. I see no reason not to take a full week, following a really thorough inspection and generous supering.

 

[oliver90owner]

most bee farmers operate a 10-day inspection cycle

That would mostly be the ones that clip their queens.

The ones that don't clip are likely to go out of business!

RAB