MB Queen Trap Anti Swarm Device

[La Folie]

Good people,

I am trying to find anyone with experiences of the MB anti swarm device

http://www.----------------.co.uk/products/langstroth-hives/queen-trap-swarm-prevention

I have been using the MB hives for a few years and like them - I know they are not everyone's cup of tea but that is not my query. The bumf on the anti swarm system mentions extensive use in Finland where it was developed but I have not seen anything about people using it here.

With the greatest of respect, I am after experiences rather than opinions based on looking at the picture.

 

[Finman]

Good people,

The bumf on the anti swarm system mentions extensive use in Finland where it was developed but I have not seen anything about people using it here.

.

There is no extensive use it here. Beeks hardly know it here. At least it is new here too.

 

[Karsal]

There is no extensive use it here. Beeks hardly know it here. At least it is new here too.

Saw an article on swarm catcher from America called a Swarm Bandit.

Just Google it

 

[Tremyfro]

I think you can only use it with Langstroths...when I enquires last year...

 

[Finman]

.
Clipped wing and AS is my thing.

 

[simoncav]

I have a few of these and their crap...

The plastic connectors joining the sides and back snap regularly and the plastic QE warps and sticks to the frame bars where the bees propolis the lot. The round bits at the front are supposed to hold the yellow hive door in place fall out leaving the top entrance open when you don't need it.

Apart from that...

We are now using metal QE's from Mann Lake instead of the plastic ones from MB. A colleague has taken one of my old MB swarm kits and is making up a sample Morris board that should do the same job.

 

[Dishmop]

Just screw an excluder over the entrance..........

 

[Geb]

What would be the probable outcome of temporarily placing a queen excluder over the hive entrance for the duration of the main swarm season, or just for a week or two whilst on hols ????? I expect not good otherwise this simple method would be standard

 

[Finman]

What would be the probable outcome of temporarily placing a queen excluder over the hive entrance for the duration of the main swarm season, or just for a week or two whilst on hols ????? I expect not good otherwise this simple method would be standard

If it would be a good idea, it has been used 100 years.

Actually when I started 50 y ago, book was full of different versions like swarm can be catched with excluders.

 

[La Folie]

What would be the probable outcome of temporarily placing a queen excluder over the hive entrance for the duration of the main swarm season, or just for a week or two whilst on hols ????? I expect not good otherwise this simple method would be standard

In effect this is the MB anti swarm device. It involves opening an upper entrance above the QE and closing the lower entrance, then letting nature take it's course.

 

[jonnybeegood]

Why not manage bees like everyone else rather than go for the "lock her in" approach?
I wouldnt dream of doing this, its totally going against every natural instinct.

 

[La Folie]

Why not manage bees like everyone else rather than go for the "lock her in" approach?
I wouldnt dream of doing this, its totally going against every natural instinct.

Which is why I asked for people's experiences of the system, rather than opinions.

 

[Finman]

In effect this is the MB anti swarm device. It involves opening an upper entrance above the QE and closing the lower entrance, then letting nature take it's course.

I have heard from a professional beekeeper, that that Finnish antiswarm system is based on "Queen in excluder prison". Many use such system, that Queen is jailed into topmost box over excluder.

What I have found out, those guys yields are not good. The system is against bees' natural instincts and bees tend use much energy to get back their natural order in the hive.

Often colony looses its motivation to work if things are not such as they want. You cannot press them very much from their natural path.

 

[La Folie]

Thanks Finman, that is very useful information.

 

[Dishmop]

Why not manage bees like everyone else rather than go for the "lock her in" approach?
I wouldnt dream of doing this, its totally going against every natural instinct.

any method of swarm control is going against their natural instinct

 

[Finman]

any method of swarm control is going against their natural instinct

Amen.
.

 

[snelgrove]

when I started beekeeping I tryed simply killing queen and destroying queen cells and leaving one to requeen colony, swarming is prevented. what you get is a listless uninterested stock of bees not interested in working. not recommended . placing and excluder over entrance is more or less the same idea.

 

[Finman]

when I started beekeeping I tryed simply killing queen and destroying queen cells and leaving one to requeen colony, swarming is prevented. what you get is a listless uninterested stock of bees not interested in working. not recommended . placing and excluder over entrance is more or less the same idea.

Yes, so it goes. The colony may loose it's motivation to work and it I difficult to get them again to work.

When the hive is too full or too hot, a big cluster of bees hang on shadow wall. When I correct the situation, it takes few days that bees stop their daily meeting on the wall and return to work. And inside the hive there is a big do nothing gang hanging on frames.

 

[plain_hunt]

Has anyone tried the top entrances as well as keeping the bottom entrance? Nothing to to do with swarm control, but those that let the foragers into the supers without going through the brood box. Does it stop the brood box getting full of nectar? Does it mean more pollen in the supers?

 

[steve1958]

Good people,

I am trying to find anyone with experiences of the MB anti swarm device

With the greatest of respect, I am after experiences rather than opinions based on looking at the picture.

I did use one of these on a hive that I had in a lady's garden.
I use polystyrene hives.
I was going on holiday so didn't want to return to find the Bees had swarmed and upset neighbours.
Incidentally I no longer have bees in her garden as it became too much hassle.
Anyway
I returned from my break to find that the bees had tunneled a way out around the blocked entrance.
Fortunately they hadn't swarmed, but their actions put me off using these entrances again.