Requeening swarmy colonies

[AndyJ01]

Hi all, has anyone got any tips for re-queening colonies that have been intent on swarming? I have several colonies that I needed to AS this month, the Q+ side built up quickly again and a couple have tried to swarm again and have now lost the clipped Q. I have made them hopelessly Q- and now need to introduce queens from a different (less swarmy) source. Any tips on doing this please? Will the current Q- colonies still have swarmy frustrations?

Thanks

 

[eltalia]

Hi all, has anyone got any tips for re-queening colonies that have been intent on swarming? I have several colonies that I needed to AS this month, the Q+ side built up quickly again and a couple have tried to swarm again and have now lost the clipped Q. I have made them hopelessly Q- and now need to introduce queens from a different (less swarmy) source. Any tips on doing this please? Will the current Q- colonies still have swarmy frustrations?

Thanks

It isn't clear (to I) if you are asking for tips on introduction, or as
to where to accquire gentle productive stock, sorry.

Yet once again within your story is the caution to perform AS and
indeed also the futility of wing clipping queens.
Both lessons of note for those arguing otherwise is "wisdom".

Bill

 

[Goran]

Tear down All qcells. If there is no flow feed and introduce Queen in a Cage. Hardly Will swarm again. But with bees all is expected. If they start to build qcells with her eggs - you have time to react.

 

[AndyJ01]

The first colony I am sorting lost its clipped Q just over a week ago. All QC have been rubbed out and all brood is now capped. The bees are a bit lively at the moment (unsurprisingly). I have a 2019 Q that is laying worker brood is a good sized colony. Can I just unite the two? Q- bees in the top box. Or will the previously swarmy bees convince their new chums to swarm?

Thanks

 

[beebopper]

The first colony I am sorting lost its clipped Q just over a week ago. All QC have been rubbed out and all brood is now capped. The bees are a bit lively at the moment (unsurprisingly). I have a 2019 Q that is laying worker brood is a good sized colony. Can I just unite the two? Q- bees in the top box. Or will the previously swarmy bees convince their new chums to swarm?

Thanks

Buy in some good stock - there are plenty out there.

 

[B+.]

Hi all, has anyone got any tips for re-queening colonies that have been intent on swarming?

You can requeen in the same way as you would do any other colony.
Swarming can be dealth with like this (https://youtu.be/Wm7RqXJD4_w?t=1425 )

 

[AndyJ01]

Thanks for that, video was useful. So even in a Q- colony separating the flying bees is important to supress the swarming urge.

 

[B+.]

Thanks for that, video was useful. So even in a Q- colony separating the flying bees is important to supress the swarming urge.

Q- colonies don't swarm (swarming is a reproductive process). They do, however, abscond but that's because they find their current home undesirable for some reason

 

[Poly Hive]

Just a heads up despite the claptrap being said from distant parts.

Because I had clipped queens I did not lose swarms from two of my colonies whilst I was engaged with more important activities, namely sipping the real golden nectar on Islay.

PH

 

[Finman]

You can requeen in the same way as you would do any other colony.
Swarming can be dealth with like this (https://youtu.be/Wm7RqXJD4_w?t=1425 )

This is one modification of Artificial Swarm. But I would no do it this way.

Laying queen and capped queen cells in upper boxes means swarming.
In my hives only 2/3 out of brood boxes give up from swarming.

.

 

[foghornleghorn]

This is one modification of Artificial Swarm. But I would no do it this way.

Laying queen and capped queen cells in upper boxes means swarming.
In my hives only 2/3 out of brood boxes give up from swarming.

.

Agree tried it before and poor success.

 

[Finman]

.
When I have used drawn combs in artificial swarms, at least 30% of swarms continue swarming fever. They start at once new queen cells.

If I use foundations and 3 crystallized frames, zero % continues swarming.

After 3 days the queen becomes fat and starts to lay again. After that I may add honey frames from old hive to the swarm. Like in video, it makes no sense to put to swarm at start drawn box from old hive.

The bees must totally feel that they have swarmed, and they start a new life with foundations.

But I know that beeks do not mind about these advices. They should have foundations and frames ready to give to the artificial swarms, but they do not have.

And vertical AS is a nuisance to nurse. As well as hives too close to each others.
Difficult to inspect, what the AS part is doing. Some start at once to draw combs and to some it takes 3 days.

 

[B+.]

This is one modification of Artificial Swarm. But I would no do it this way.

Laying queen and capped queen cells in upper boxes means swarming.
In my hives only 2/3 out of brood boxes give up from swarming.

.

Who said you leave queen cells in the top box?

 

[Finman]

Who said you leave queen cells in the top box?

They rear new queen cells, if you take them off. No one need to say it.

 

[AndyJ01]

Thanks for this input. I'm going to try the following:

Move Q- colony away and let flyers return to original stand;
Give the flyers a box of foundation and one frame of eggs/grubs;
Unite the Q- bit with another colony;
In a week remove QC from flyers hive and introduce new queen.

A