Artificial swarming question

[Zante]

To do an artificial swarm you pretty much trick foragers into an empty hive (and move the queen into it) after moving their original hive at a certain distance, correct?

That way you end up with two hives: one with the queen and the foragers, and one with younger bees and queen cells.

Using this method does it make more sense to keep two hives separate during the production season and merge them in preparation for winter to have a stronger colony, or to merge them shortly after the artificial swarming to have a stronger single colony during the production season?

 

[Poly Hive]

Please do not leave Queen cells in the brood part. One open cup with a grub is best. Then the bees will concentrate on it and feed it up lavishly thus ensuring she gets off to the very best start.

And it gives them time for the swarming fever to calm down.

PH

 

[pargyle]

Please do not leave Queen cells in the brood part. One open cup with a grub is best. Then the bees will concentrate on it and feed it up lavishly thus ensuring she gets off to the very best start.

And it gives them time for the swarming fever to calm down.

PH

Or two ... just in case it all goes belly up ... I would not leave more than two though and really you want two with grubs of the same age ... very often you will find two quite close together on the frame and it's easy just to keep these two.

 

[Zante]

Don't worry, I have no hives to do anything to yet

I am reading and gathering information yet, and haven't even started my beekeeping course, it's just that when I read something, or watch a video about something I start thinking of various scenarios to better understand the matter, and recently I've watched this video about how to do an artificial swarm. It explained how to then join them back together with the newspaper method, or (it said) you can keep them separate and increase the number of colonies.

That got me thinking: would you want more colonies for the summer season but have them need to build back up, or would you want to join them sooner and have a larger colony? So I thought I'd ask what people with experience in the field would rather do.

 

[enrico]

You have sort of answered your own question. If you want more hives you keep them separate, if you want one big strong hive for the foraging season you can combine them, if you have missed the foraging season but want one strong hive for winter than you combine them. Depends on your needs!
E

 

[Poly Hive]

Keeping two open cells solves the swarm fever aspect but creates another danger.

If you are keeping two as an insurance then make up a separate nuc. One open cup with grub in the nuc or for that matter if it is a small two frame nuc an advanced cell makes no odds. Then an open cup in the main unit and the old queen with the flying bees.

The above is effectively what I do.

PH