Increasing Bee Numbers

[Busy Bee]

Hi All,

Can I increase bee numbers in a colony by putting frames of capped brood into a hive?

Also can cast swarms on frames be united to a colony even though they a virgin queen and are more than 6 feet away. Casts swarms are about 2 weeks old.

Regards


Busy Bee

 

[Finman]

.
Capped brood is better be that part has allready emerged. So it helps at once small colony to enlarge brooding.

You may do what ever what how smart it is. Beginners are too eager to split small colonies and finally the total number of bees will be smaller and big hives violated under honey production level.

My long expereince is that the most importamnt thing to small colony is the heat of hive. It makes possible a large brood area and later larger colony. - and not mesh floor to nucs.

 

[Busy Bee]

It is my intention to build up a colony that has swarmed 3 bloody times!

Busy Bee

 

[Poly Hive]

Would it not make more sense Busy unite the one that has swarmed to another one. There by requeening it or are you wanting to build it up at the expense of other colonies so it swarms on you again?

I think I know which way I would go.

PH

 

[Finman]

.
Why it has swarmed? You give more bees and it swarms again or what?

 

[hedgerow pete]

if i had any thing that swarmed once i would never have any thing to do with it, its a waste of time either kill the queen and replace her or get rid of the lot why struggle with bad stock

 

[Busy Bee]

The swarming is my bad management, will have abetter handle on it next year. The colony that swarmed was going great until I missed a queen cell and then it went to the 4 winds. The hives could be two far apart to unite now. It may be better to let well enough alone and re-queen all with better queens, swarming will not stop unless I prevent it..

Although this problem is my fault for not getting it in time.

Busy Bee