Clipping queens wings

[Finman]

Rule 2: under month old queen does not swarm, as you see

***Last summer I got a rare surprise.

I have made a false swarm and I put a queen cell to the top most box.

The virgin mated and started to lay. After 4 days laying it swarmed and went away.

The reason was that raspberries give a huge nectar flow and laying area finished.

***Long ago 1994 I had a swarm and I gave to it 4 boxes and took it to rape field.
When I next went to see the hive after 2 weeks, boxes were full of capped honey and brood bees away. There were eggs in queen cell cups. So it was quick start.

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[MrB]

Thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread!
the whole process of swarm prevention is a lot clearer now.
i guess at the end of the day, Bee's will be Bee's and our job is to accomodate that as much as we can.

 

[Finman]

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Swarm control is a big job, but the most important.

http://maarec.cas.psu.edu/pdfs/Swarm_Prev_Control_PM.pdf

 

[MrB]

Finman,
Many thanks for the link.
interesting article

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Clipping isn't as difficult as you might think, so if you want to have a go, then try it! I was nervous about doing the first one, but after that it became easier. All my queens were clipped this year apart from one I have never found (!) and I will see how they go next year.
I also find it easier to pick up the queen to mark rather than use a cage. It also stops a crown of thorn cage stabbing your leg when it's in your pocket!

 

[BKF Admin]

Clip a dozen Drones first..

 

[Finman]

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Here is something
EDIT: Finman,that link was broken:Admin.
http://nowdownloadall.com/join.asp?...PID=ad188885-f0de-4cf1-a513-22bebf2bce5b&sw=0

 

[Stiffy]

I have clipped queens and collected the swarm from front of hive in the grass and it seemed very successful it also give you some time to sort them out.

Several other hives have unclipped queens and swarmed this year but thankfully into a nearby hawthorn on my land.
Since then I have found that the bees (10-20) start to gather around the top of the hawthorn several days before starting cells. This then gives me an indication that something is brewing and I check thoroughly.
My advice get a good hawthorn bush check both hive and bush regularly in the swarming season
Cheers

PS I have a very strong colony with a Carniolian queen which has been giving me some worrying signs recently which I intend to split as early as possible next year, whats the date of the last swarm anyone has seen?

 

[BKF Admin]

My advice get a good hawthorn bush check both hive and bush regularly in the swarming season

Thats very interesting.
I have Hawthorn around my hives and did notice a couple of days before a swarm a few bees doing like you have posted,I never took any notice thinking they had found some propolis or something.

Thanks for the tip..

 

[Finman]

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What ever they do, at least they are not looking the swarming place in hawthorn bush. First
20 years I had hawthorn beside my yard. They like to to apple trees.

Only way is look into hive what are they intending.

I have had summer cottage almost 30 years. Year after year swarms go into some certain sites, and never land in ssome places even if I put there lure stuff.

 

[Heather]

Think I have mentioned before- but will say again - warning.

I was holding a queen gently between fingers- over the hive- and before I had a chance to mark and clip - a stray bee came down and stung her - killing her within hours.
Now I cage my queen and take into a room to mark and clip. then recage her. By the time she is back in the hive the paint is dry and she is acceptable

 

[Finman]

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It is better to keep spare queens when you kill queens.

 

[DrNick]

Think I have mentioned before- but will say again - warning.

I was holding a queen gently between fingers- over the hive- and before I had a chance to mark and clip - a stray bee came down and stung her - killing her within hours.
Now I cage my queen and take into a room to mark and clip. then recage her. By the time she is back in the hive the paint is dry and she is acceptable

I had to mark a queen for the first time this year, we were inside with windows closed, I put her onto some spare comb, it calmed her no end and made the job so much esier.