Artificial Swarm question

[ShinySideUp]

I've just watched a couple of videos by the Norfolk Honey Company re: artificial swarming.

He put a new hive in place and moved the old one to a new position with the queen and bees. The flying bees now go back to the old site with several of the old frames which have queen cells on them but then he did something odd. He destroyed all the queen cells and so the flying bees now have to bring on a whole new set of queen cells from the eggs the old queen laid which he later culled to one remaining cell. Why did he destroy all the queen cells rather than keep one of the existing ones? As a relative beginner it appears to me that he has lost a couple of weeks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I suppose it's because then he knows the age of the queen cell exactly but it's not what I would do. How do you expect the old foragers to rear a decent queen?

Pagden 'aint broke so I don't fix it.
Done properly with assiduous attention to unwanted queen cells at the proper interval it works.

PS I haven't watched the video so ......................

 

[mintmoth]

This is a very clear and simple video of how to use Pagden swarm control. As a beginner, I find it the easiest way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCReKLV6CB4

 

[Poly Hive]

Well some of the old foragers will not long have started that job and so being flexible can and will return to feeding duties.

I think he has taken it a step too far as leaving an open cell would more than suffice and I am reasonably sure I have not heard of this procedure so it may well be worth challenging.

PH

 

[Kenson]

I think Stuart (Norfolk Honey) does "Take Questions" in the YouTube comments section, ask, he'll probably have a good reason

 

[Uncle Betty]

I suppose it's because then he knows the age of the queen cell exactly

Yes, I watched the video (pt. 1) and he does state that it is to 'control the process'.

It's at 3:30 here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Og00ZA_F6_Y

And from the comments, he says...

Removing the existing queen cells means that you are in control of the timing of when the virgin queen will emerge. There is nothing wrong with leaving a single, open queen cell but not any sealed. When you move the hive after seven days if there has been a new virgin queen emerge in the interim period she could lose her bearings when returning from a mating flight and end up in the wrong hive.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I have to admit I did not read the comments (I have now), I never think about it as on many a Youtube video they are inane and of no use whatsoever -- "Great vid" or "Whasssupppp dude"...oh dear.

Yes I see his point now althoug I'm not sure I could bring myself to make a hive completely devoid of all potential queens. I will look more into this subject as this year I will have to increase my hive holding.

I think I will try the method pointed out by mintmoth.

 

[Swarm]

Not the best way to make increase, using swarm cells, just perpetuates the tendency. Unless the plan is to replace her, in which case you will have to make them queenless.

 

[Karsal]

Not the best way to make increase, using swarm cells, just perpetuates the tendency. Unless the plan is to replace her, in which case you will have to make them queenless.

I always find it interesting that we beekeepers suppress swarms. Also using swarm cells for propagation of colonies perpetuates swarming tendencies.
Is there such a thing as a NON SWARMING COLONY OF BEES?

 

[Swift Nick]

Is there such a thing as a NON SWARMING COLONY OF BEES?

Maybe there were, but if they didn’t swarm then they wouldn’t propagate and then they would have die out.

 

[ShinySideUp]

NON SWARMING COLONY OF BEES?

Only a dead one perhaps.

 

[colinc]

If you crowd even “non-swarmy” bees they will swarm. It is natural to them. Thanks to the OP for raising this topic again, it’s always good to see a refresher of the options at this time of year.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Karsal]

I always find it interesting that we beekeepers suppress swarms. Also using swarm cells for propagation of colonies perpetuates swarming tendencies.
Is there such a thing as a NON SWARMING COLONY OF BEES?

I was being facetious with the previous post.
Bees have been sorting themselves out for millions of years then man comes along and tries to change everything.
They select and build swarm cells themselves regardless of our intervention. They swarm whenever they feel they have a need to propagate their species.
Who are we to say don't use swarm cells they make swarmy colonies.
I've been taught not to waste swarm cells. They do make viable queens and many a mini nuc has benefited from a new queen cell introduced rather than destroying all bar one in a colony.

 

[Poly Hive]

Good grief people have none of you heard of the "Supersedure Impulse" ??

There is more than one way of bees reproducing.

A supersedure strain is a joy to manage because they *cough* don't swarm.

PH

 

[Swarm]

Good grief people have none of you heard of the "Supersedure Impulse" ??

There is more than one way of bees reproducing.

A supersedure strain is a joy to manage because they *cough* don't swarm.

PH

It would appear they haven't

 

[mintmoth]

I always find it interesting that we beekeepers suppress swarms....

It's not my wish to suppress swarms, but I need to control them. My bees are on farmland where there is also a large fishing lake. One of my colonies swarmed last year, and apparently flew across the lake, scaring the living daylights out of several lightly clad fishermen who all ran for their cars, so I'm told. The farmer was good natured about it, but I won't keep in his good books by scaring his paying customers.

 

[madasafish]

Good grief people have none of you heard of the "Supersedure Impulse" ??

There is more than one way of bees reproducing.

A supersedure strain is a joy to manage because they *cough* don't swarm.

PH

I have two hives which have not swarmed in three years but have superceded twice in that time.. Pity they have not been very productive so far..

 

[ShinySideUp]

It's not my wish to suppress swarms, but I need to control them. My bees are on farmland where there is also a large fishing lake. One of my colonies swarmed last year, and apparently flew across the lake, scaring the living daylights out of several lightly clad fishermen who all ran for their cars, so I'm told. The farmer was good natured about it, but I won't keep in his good books by scaring his paying customers.

I work on the premise that just because I keep bees doesn't mean that my bees are responsible for any bee-related event in the vicinity. Someone said to me that one of my bees flew around their face last summer. I presumed they were joking and told them that if they have a problem in the future they should swat the bee and take a note of it's barcode because as a responsible beekeeper I make sure all my bees are identifiable. I expected a slap to the shoulder and a little chuckle...nothing. I didn't pursue the point but I think they believed me.