new swarm cells after AS

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nickysolar

New Bee
Joined
Jan 1, 2016
Messages
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Location
Oxfordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
4
Last week I found my clipped queen on the ground outside the hive. I have done an AS but I couldn't move the hive very far from the original site owing to a mole problem (now fixed).
1 week later there are more swarm cells - 8 in total and 5 of these were on the frame. They are on 8 brood frames, 3 of which are still undrawn so ample room.
The queen is 2015, she looks smaller than normal. Could she be running out of sperm after just 2 years? Could this be why they are still building SC's or is it because they are too close to their original spot?
Thanks
 
Did you trim down the number of swarm cells the first time around? They slim the queen down when planning swarming to allow her to fly, from what I've read.
 
Ok, so I placed the queen (on a frame of brood) into a new brood box. Added two more brood frames then added a further 5 undrawn frames. Replaced Q excluder, supers crown board et. Moved the hive a foot to one side.
In the old hive I have destroyed all but 1 queen cell and marked the frame with a pin.
 
Darn I know this! Im kicking myself. Do you think its feasible to shake bees off the two brood frames I moved with the queen and put them back in the old hive?
Then fill up the remaining space with foundation frame.
 
Or remove the queen on her frame and put her in a nuc (with foundation less frames).
Destroy the queen cell and recombine the colony, leaving them Q less? Then once honey finished, requeen.
 
Last edited:
Darn I know this! Im kicking myself. Do you think its feasible to shake bees off the two brood frames I moved with the queen and put them back in the old hive?
Then fill up the remaining space with foundation frame.

yes, you can try that.
 
Last week I found my clipped queen on the ground outside the hive. I have done an AS but I couldn't move the hive very far from the original site owing to a mole problem (now fixed).
1 week later there are more swarm cells - 8 in total and 5 of these were on the frame. They are on 8 brood frames, 3 of which are still undrawn so ample room.
The queen is 2015, she looks smaller than normal. Could she be running out of sperm after just 2 years? Could this be why they are still building SC's or is it because they are too close to their original spot?
Thanks

The highlighted part suggests they are actually on five frames of comb and three of foundation, which also could explain the swarm cells.
The initial move of only one foot hasn't helped, it's too close IMO.
 

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