Boosting existing colonies by introducing swarms

[Do224]

Would it be a viable tactic to use swarms to boost colonies that are building up?

As in....if you had say a nuc from a split, could you turbo charge it up to a full size colony by catching a swarm and merging them together?

It just occurred to me that it might work but perhaps I’m missing something. I took all of my swarm traps down when I had as many colonies as I wanted....but I wonder if I should have left them up to try and catch a couple more swarms to help out my smaller colonies.

 

[B+.]

Would it be a viable tactic to use swarms to boost colonies that are building up?

As in....if you had say a nuc from a split, could you turbo charge it up to a full size colony by catching a swarm and merging them together?

It just occurred to me that it might work but perhaps I’m missing something. I took all of my swarm traps down when I had as many colonies as I wanted....but I wonder if I should have left them up to try and catch a couple more swarms to help out my smaller colonies.

That would depend on whether you had a queen in the split.

If you had no queen, the swarm might provide one but you have no information on what the colony she established would be like. It might bring more trouble than it's worth.
If you had a queen, they would undoubtedly fight until one (you can't be sure which one) would emerge the victor.
My personal opinion would be to not do this but, if you are just trying to build up your colony numbers, I can see why you might want to do it.

 

[enrico]

It would be better to use one as a donor hive. Isolate the swarm until you know it is good and then take frames of brood to boost existing colonies and keep the. Swarm small.

 

[philipm]

You could keep the swarms until the autumn then merge to strengthen hives going into winter also have a pick of queens. It depends on how much spare kit you have.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Would it be a viable tactic to use swarms to boost colonies that are building up?

As in....if you had say a nuc from a split, could you turbo charge it up to a full size colony by catching a swarm and merging them together?

It just occurred to me that it might work but perhaps I’m missing something. I took all of my swarm traps down when I had as many colonies as I wanted....but I wonder if I should have left them up to try and catch a couple more swarms to help out my smaller colonies.

Despite having caught and hived a number of local (to me) swarms which have always proved healthy, I suggest you should always bear in mind the risk of any swarm carrying pathogens. As always - it's your decision to make.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Despite having caught and hived a number of local (to me) swarms which have always proved healthy, I suggest you should always bear in mind the risk of any swarm carrying pathogens. As always - it's your decision to make.

Spot on.
I have a swarm caught this year that has the most awful chalk brood.

 

[B+.]

Spot on.
I have a swarm caught this year that has the most awful chalk brood.

What's that?

 

[drex]

IT is that horrid thing that is running riot in one of my hives. It will get a new queen when I have one ready. I rear my own queens and take a chance on how " hygienic" they are. If not up to it they get the chop. Unlike you most of us are not breeders.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What's that?

I know. I can’t resist free bees. They are never free though are they. It’s the only time I’ve ever seen it. Local bee vigour

 

[B+.]

IT is that horrid thing that is running riot in one of my hives. It will get a new queen when I have one ready. I rear my own queens and take a chance on how " hygienic" they are. If not up to it they get the chop. Unlike you most of us are not breeders.

I know Desmond. It's an easy test to do though, and one that provides immediate results (well, 6 hours later is almost immediate).

 

[Do224]

That would depend on whether you had a queen in the split.

If you had no queen, the swarm might provide one but you have no information on what the colony she established would be like. It might bring more trouble than it's worth.
If you had a queen, they would undoubtedly fight until one (you can't be sure which one) would emerge the victor.
My personal opinion would be to not do this but, if you are just trying to build up your colony numbers, I can see why you might want to do it.

I was meaning if you dispatched the queen within the swarm and then combined with the existing colony using the newspaper method.

 

[Do224]

Despite having caught and hived a number of local (to me) swarms which have always proved healthy, I suggest you should always bear in mind the risk of any swarm carrying pathogens. As always - it's your decision to make.

I suppose all my existing colonies are recent swarms anyway but appreciate what you’re saying....if I had a proven healthy colony there would be a risk of introducing disease.

The main reason I’m asking is because my three newest colonies (swarms about 3 weeks old) have only drawn about 4 frames each and I’m worried about getting them built up to a full brood box in time for winter. I know their first brood will hatch soon and hopefully give them a boost but will they make it in time? They’ve got new foundation they’ll have to draw across the rest of the box (they’re in nucs at the minute but Ideally I want them hived soon)

 

[B+.]

I was meaning if you dispatched the queen within the swarm and then combined with the existing colony using the newspaper method.

That would probably work so long as it was a slow combination.

 

[Ian123]

Spare swarms are great for some comb honey production.!!!!!

 

[Do224]

That would probably work so long as it was a slow combination.

By slow do you mean newspaper rather than say air freshener...or something else?

 

[Do224]

Spare swarms are great for some comb honey production.!!!!!

In what way?...sorry, complete novice here

 

[Erichalfbee]

In what way?...sorry, complete novice here

Swarms draw wax fast if they have the resources

 

[B+.]

By slow do you mean newspaper rather than say air freshener...or something else?

Personally, I wouldn't dream of spraying a food-producing animal with air freshener. Others might do it, but I wouldn't.

Multiple layers of newspaper pierced with a pin (or something that impedes their passage) would delay them from mingling

 

[Do224]

Personally, I wouldn't dream of spraying a food-producing animal with air freshener. Others might do it, but I wouldn't.

Multiple layers of newspaper pierced with a pin (or something that impedes their passage) would delay them from mingling

Newspaper it is then...how many is a few sheets...are we talking say 3, or more like 8

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Newspaper it is then...how many is a few sheets...are we talking say 3, or more like 8

two. I grit my teeth and buy the Torygraph (once a year - it also good as a blower for the chapel fire) to get a broadsheet with decent quality paper.