Modified Snelgrove ll

[Erichalfbee]

How far away was the parent hive moved? Do you think it might have inadvertently maintained a proportion of the foragers and they were therefore still intent on swarming?

I not only moved it about ten feet away but I rotated the entrance 90˚
The bizarre thing is that despite one or two cells actually emerging the old queen was still there laying.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

I not only moved it about ten feet away but I rotated the entrance

That should have done it then.....!

It all seems to have worked out ok though,....... if not exactly as to plan. Hopefully it's enough for the swarming impulse to have been curbed for now. Plus you've actually saved yourself a couple of weeks wait by not having to wait for another round of emergency Q cells to be produced and emerge. Good job you looked in when you did though!

Are you planning to reunite? I simply cannot increase my numbers any more! Think I will reunite for the main flow and hope that having a fresh young queen will keep them at home!

 

[Erichalfbee]

How far away was the parent hive moved? Do you think it might have inadvertently maintained a proportion of the foragers and they were therefore still intent on swarming?

You have probably hit the nail on the head there.
The hive went some distance, as mentioned before, from the AS.
BUT I simply put it at the end of a stand fairly close to another colony. I remember seeing lots of bees on the side (the direction it was facing initially).
I wanted to move it completely away but husband persuaded me to tack it onto the end where there was a space.
I guess there was a lot of drifting......maybe.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Do try this method again though if you have the need. I've now done it on 6 of my 12 colonies. In the 5 colonies that I've taken through stage 2 and therefore checked inside, all have broken down every queen 'swarm' cell. Tomorrow I will be going back to the very first one I did and checking the swarm hive to make sure the repatriated queen is ok and laying in there again with no new queen cells. My next worry is - will they swarm off the emergency cells created in the parent hive. Wally Shaw says not...... 'no thinning of queen cells is required'. Hope he's right!

I guess it might not suit everyone but, so far, this method of artificial swarm suits me and my situation really well.

 

[testka]

Do try this method again though if you have the need. I've now done it on 6 of my 12 colonies. In the 5 colonies that I've taken through stage 2 and therefore checked inside, all have broken down every queen 'swarm' cell. Tomorrow I will be going back to the very first one I did and checking the swarm hive to make sure the repatriated queen is ok and laying in there again with no new queen cells. My next worry is - will they swarm off the emergency cells created in the parent hive. Wally Shaw says not...... 'no thinning of queen cells is required'. Hope he's right!

I guess it might not suit everyone but, so far, this method of artificial swarm suits me and my situation really well.

Hi,
Just interested to know Jimmys Mum. Did the bees swarm off the emergency cell?
Thanks.

 

[thenovice]

i initiated this method on the 3rd of this month all is well in the AS with mother queen but waiting for parent hive to raise emergency queens and get mated. hope all will be fine there in a couple of weeks. in a way it is easier than the traditional way as you have to find the queen in a depleted hive. I am converted (even if i haven't done many ASs yet

 

[Erichalfbee]

Today.....this first one has a laying queen though I failed to spot her. I will have to wait till next inspection to see if she is good.

Another I started on the 20th May has gone like clockwork.
All queen cells torn down in the parent box and I repatriated the queen today.
Now fingers crossed for the weather again.

 

[Magwat]

I completed a modified snelgrove AS on Sunday - all textbook. But, 20 minutes after I had finished, the part with the repatriated queen swarmed. I was determined not to lose them so watched and after about 5 minutes they all returned to the hive. I can only think that they got over excited when a queen appeared in their midst and all rushed out, then returned when they realised that she wasn't with them.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Opened up my first modified Snelgrove II AS today. After seeing a good pattern of worker brood, I have tonight united both parts over newspaper. There are 10 frames of brood altogether. So a nice strong colony for when our lime tree 'avenues' hopefully start to yield! fingers crossed!
So yes, the first one of 6 completed has been a sucess. The old queen is banked in a nuc (just in case!)

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well, the year just gets stranger and stranger.
I have done two of these now and BOTH AS parts have after 3 and 4 weeks produced charged Queen Cells and I have split them again.....aaarrgh!!!!!
On May 1st I split a colony promised to somebody by putting the queen in a nuc and reducing QCs to 1. All has gone swimmingly well. The old queen is dead and the new one, united, reigns supreme. I gave the box away today and expecting to unite my other two splits hoped for a return to four boxes on the hive stands.
I am now back to 8...Grrrrrrrrrr
Neither second ASs are particularly strong but in the absence of decent forage they have had nothing else to do.
The Buckfast colonies are just great. I jokingly said to husband that it would be simpler to get 2 new queens from Pete Little every year but he said that would take all the fun out of it.

 

[Jimmys Mum]

Well, the year just gets stranger and stranger.
I have done two of these now and BOTH AS parts have after 3 and 4 weeks produced charged Queen Cells and I have split them again.....aaarrgh!!!!!

I've had a mixed success with this method of AS. Six hives AS'd.

- Two queens 'lost'. Maybe my poking around too soon? So reunited with the old queens.
- Two went as per the method, new queens now heading nice strong hives.
- Two are now building QCs again after both parts being reunited. Perhaps the unite was too soon!

How have others got on?

 

[Magwat]

I repatriated a queen in one on 30 May. On 16 June (I've been away) no sign of the queen or eggs but 15 queen cells. I looked in some and the oldest are about 12 days old (pink eye stage). It may explain where my mystery swarm on 3 June came from but it didn't like the accommodation I provided and absconded anyway. I've left all the rest of the QCs for a mass release of virgins tomorrow or Saturday.

 

[Dan Job]

How have others got on?

2 out of 3 played by the rules. One now recombined, yet to inspect, after taking the newly laying queen and 3 frames to make a nuc. Second to inspect for laying queen this weekend. The failed one as I mentioned in another post, the flying bees didn't return 'home' suspect it was because I carried out step one on an evening which was followed by a spell of bad weather which probably kept most of them inside for a full day. Converted this to a pagden by finding the queen on day 2 and returning her to the original brood box with the two frames. Worked out ok.

All original queens still present and 2 of 3 new queens mated and laying.

Might steal a frame or two of brood from my strongest nucs to 'boost' the 3 colonies I hope will produce a honey surplus.