Grumpy swarm - new queen ordered

[taurus]

A neighbour who keeps bees had a swarm out of his hive and nowhere to put them so we marched them into a spare hive in our garden.

They are fine generally but over the past fortnight they've been getting overly defensive during inspections. Now they are starting to follow us around the garden for a couple of hours after an inspection which I am not happy about.

I have ordered a new queen and read various threads about methods of introduction. The thing I want to understand is the thoughts about removing the attendants. Some people do, some don't. If it's possible to keep things simple and not remove them I'm all for it. The less I have to manhandle the new queen the better.

Can someone explain the thinking either way please.

 

[For want of a better word]

Why order a "new" queen when you have nice bees of your own ( I presume)

Cull the nasty queen.... remove any signs of attempts the colony is making to produce a new queen over the next week... and then put a frame of eggs and brood in from one of your own nice colonies... you could follow Millar's method on your nice frame and raise some queens to requeen all of you neighbors nasty bee colonies as a thank you for the nasty swarm!

Hope you nice queens are well stocked with drones!

Good luck

Yeghes da

 

[taurus]

There are two reasons why I've gone for a new queen rather than raising one from current colonies.

1) Of the three other colonies one is a new hive from a nuc, they are lovely but still building up so I don't want to take any frames out of there.

The second colony are a double brood which is great but I took a split from them last year and it didn't go terribly well. I also had a bit of a disaster with them recently when the queen got into the supers so the brood chamber isn't as strong on brood as it could be.

The third lot are a new swarm who are well behaved but still building up and so yet to show their true colours. (I have also offered it to a friend who lost all his bees on the condition he checks them over and it's his decision whether to take them or not.)

2) I'd like to introduce the characteristics of a Buckfast queen and since this is only my second year I want to expand my experience. So introducing a queen is something I want to try.

I just need to decide on whether to remove the attendants or not.

 

[protheroe]

Sometimes the dead attendants block up the hole for the queen to get out.usually happens on weaker colonies though from what I notice.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I never take attendants out.

 

[Anduril]

If you place the introduction cage in such a way that the queen can be released, then any attendants who die will not block the exit. I raise my own and I buy Buckfasts and I introduce with attendants. I know many beekeepers who have moved over to Buckfasts and Carniolans because they are more manageable and sting less. The temperament with AMMs is like playing Russian Roulette.

 

[Swarm]

If you place the introduction cage in such a way that the queen can be released, then any attendants who die will not block the exit. I raise my own and I buy Buckfasts and I introduce with attendants. I know many beekeepers who have moved over to Buckfasts and Carniolans because they are more manageable and sting less. The temperament with AMMs is like playing Russian Roulette.

Your Amm's are highly hybridised?

 

[Anduril]

Your Amm's are highly hybridised?

Never met a true AMM, since I started as a teenager.

 

[For want of a better word]

Never met a true AMM, since I started as a teenager.

I have never seen a true Buckfast!

Yeghes da

 

[Anduril]

I have never seen a true Buckfast!

Yeghes da