Casts - Help

[ROACHMAN]

I did an artificial swarm the other day, I decided to take Wally Shaws advice (from an old copy of Beecraft) he stated that when an artificial swarm is done it isnt necessary to destroy all queen cells aecept one as the workers will deal with the unwanted queen cells by tearing them down.

I have found out this is bad advice as I had 3 casts a few days ago from the q- split.

In the Baxter book he states that you can combine a cast with another colony by putting a queen excluder over the supers, placing an empty super over the top, bung in the cast , put the crown board on and they will combine, the virgin from the cast will be found dead on the QE.

I tried this on two of my colonies 2 days ago and on checking today the cast is clustered above the excluder as has made no attempt to combine, they are probably very hungey now.

How do I sort out this problem ??

There is still another cast in the hedge that has made no attempt to fly off prpbably due to the bad weather, what should I do with this.

Ive no spare equipment due to artificial swarm control and removing other peoples swarms

HELP

 

[Cazza]

As it's a cast and small,l can you not easily search through it for the virgin, remove her and combine with newspaper as per normal?


Perhaps some one here will take your hedge cast from you?

Cazza

 

[enrico]

Put them on undrawn comb to use reserves and maybe they will go down then! Cast in hedge needs boxing or leaving....then you run the risk of the taking up residence in your roof! Or your neighbours. Know what I would do.
E

 

[Poly Hive]

Might be an idea to check here first before taking as gospel stuff from old mags.

Anyone can write for them.................like me....LOL

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

put all the casts in one box and the queens will resolve it themselves

...swarm can have more than one virgin queen within the ball of bees, spray them with rosewater if more than 24hrs between casts or place them in a super above with paper in between

 

[eleanor20]

If you have any more swarm calls that you can't take I would be happy to help out..... I have an empty top bar hive and I think a swarm would be the easiest way to fill it.

 

[rae]

I did an artificial swarm the other day, I decided to take Wally Shaws advice (from an old copy of Beecraft) he stated that when an artificial swarm is done it isnt necessary to destroy all queen cells aecept one as the workers will deal with the unwanted queen cells by tearing them down.

This only works if you get rid of the flying bees by moving the hive across the original (Q+) hive. If you don't do this, then you are pretty much guaranteed to get casts.