Swarm Management Methods

[Gunzo]

I know it’s very early to think about next year but has anyone ever caged the queen once swarm cells are found and kept her below the crown board (same as banking queens) for a few weeks.
Taken down all swarm cells that follow then release her back in the brood box once you get a good hatch of brood.

just something I was thinking this year after I banked excess queens this year.

also thought about taking the queen above the excluder and let the new queen to emerge. If she fails to mate I could just move the original back down carry on. All Instead of splitting.
Thoughts please

 

[Hachi]

Read a few books over the winter about swarming, why it occurs and the reasons. You will then answer your own Q's

 

[Boston Bees]

has anyone ever caged the queen once swarm cells are found and kept her below the crown board (same as banking queens) for a few weeks.
Taken down all swarm cells that follow then release her back in the brood box once you get a good hatch of brood.

If they want to swarm, this will merely delay them. And you will probably miss a cell anyway. This is just a version of the "tear down all the queen cells" method of swarm control, which isn't viewed very positively these days.

also thought about taking the queen above the excluder and let the new queen to emerge.

Surely likely to lead to a swarm as soon as the virgin emerges.

Just nuc the queen.

 

[Finman]

I know it’s very early to think about next year but has anyone ever caged the queen once swarm cells are found and kept her below the crown board (same as banking queens)

When the colony has swarming cells, the only way to clear this situation is artificial swarm. It cuts swarming fever, the queen continues laying and produces new bees and bees continue honey foraging.

There is no idea to cage the queen in swarm fever situation. What you do is to make a artificial swarm hive and you give the queen to the hive.

To nuc the queen makes no sense either.
Give the queen to the artificial swarm, and the colony draw Quickly foundations and the queen starts laying after 3 days. It is wasting of queen if you put it into a nuc.