Artificial Swarm

[grizzly]

just picked up Ted Hoopers book again, as i am sure this year will be a steeper learning curve than the last, i am particularly keen to get the idea of the Artificial Swarm process fixed in my head.

why does he suggest leaving the Old brood box behind the new for a week ? surely if you give enough time for the foragers to return to the new box, say 24 hrs, it could then be moved to its new site ? or am i taking him too literally.

 

[jimbeekeeper]

from your AS are you wanting to just use it as swarm control? or for expansion of stocks i.e not uniting later?

 

[grizzly]

Hi JB
Well i must admit i was thinking more along the lines of Increase rather than re-uniting at a later date.

 

[Poly Hive]

24 hours is good enough. Quite why some authors want to drain off so many bees from the parent stock I am not sure myself.

I do it this way.

Find Q and put her and the frame of brood she is on in new brood box which of course has a floor CB and roof to hand. Add a couple of more frames of brood, perferably sealed to reduce waiting time for hatching. Scrub any cells on them.

Fill box with foundation and give a feed. Leave it on the origional stance.

Move the other brood box to the new position, and go through it carefully. Esp between the side bars and comb. Find a nice open cell with a very young grub in it and note it, I use a drawing pin or put an x on it with the hive tool.

Having removed ALL the cells APART from the one you selected, fill the spaces with foundation and you are finished.

If you want to make increase then take frames with cells and use them to start new colonies. I would use one frame and shake in three frames of bees per nuc, spray them with water on the frame to hold them then shake in.

NOT an operation for a back garden please note.

PH