I just split a hive which was about to swarm. I am following the procedure described by Wally Shaw as Snelgrove II modified. So in the original place of the parent hive I now have an artificial swarm set up with 2 frames of brood from the parent hive and that parent, complete with queen, is sitting about 6' away. I did that 5 days ago, the flying bees have taken to the new hive/original site and there is no sign of swarming.
The next part of the process has me a bit baffled. In about 5 days I am to take from the new hive, the donor frame carrying the emergency queen cell(s) expected to be there and put it in the parent hive. I have to find the queen in the parent hive and put her in the new hive. There is the option not to make this final swap but it reads as if it is second best and I wonder why. Perhaps there is higher risk of swarming from the new hive. I am highly unlikely to find the queen in the parent hive so I am inclined to leave things as they now are until it is time to re-unite. Can anyone advise if that is likely to give me a problem?
The next part of the process has me a bit baffled. In about 5 days I am to take from the new hive, the donor frame carrying the emergency queen cell(s) expected to be there and put it in the parent hive. I have to find the queen in the parent hive and put her in the new hive. There is the option not to make this final swap but it reads as if it is second best and I wonder why. Perhaps there is higher risk of swarming from the new hive. I am highly unlikely to find the queen in the parent hive so I am inclined to leave things as they now are until it is time to re-unite. Can anyone advise if that is likely to give me a problem?