Swarm Prevention

[Finman]

So if I do an AS as per Pagden, 5 days later I knock all queen cells down, and unite back to the old queen using the paper method?

I do not use paper. I just pile them together.

 

[YorkshireBees]

+1 ... Really essential advice for all beekeepers ... the reality is that, as a Hobby beekeeper, swarm prevention is something of a myth. You are more likely to be responding to finding queen cells than trying to stop them building them.

Unless .. you keep small colonies, have bees that are not swarmy, re-queen annually with a new queen, make sure they have plenty of space and have God on your side ...

However, The Demaree Method will give you the best chance and one of the best write up's I've seen for this is:

http://countryrubes.com/images/Swarm_Prevention_By_Demaree_Method.pdf

I use the Demaree method with great success but it has taken a few years to get the timings right. It is, in my opinion, the best method to retain all the bees together and keep the colony as productive as possible.

I use a method that varies to the one described in that link but each to their own.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So if I do an AS as per Pagden, 5 days later I knock all queen cells down, and unite back to the old queen using the paper method?

I do not use paper. I just pile them together.

Will they not start swarm preps again pretty soon?

 

[Finman]

Will they not start swarm preps again pretty soon?

No

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The Demaree Method will give you the best chance and one of the best write up's I've seen for this is:

http://countryrubes.com/images/Swarm_Prevention_By_Demaree_Method.pdf

a lot of the descriptions online are incorrect and tell you to wait for QC's in which case it's too late as it is supposed to be a proactive system not reactive. That is the closest i have seen to Demarree's original article.
It's also a good method if you want to make a small increase. Just go in after three days and remove all sealed QC's, after a week you should then have some nice sealed QC's which you can either remove and put into mating nucs or split the box into two or three nucs and await the queens to mate.

I use the Demaree method with great success but it has taken a few years to get the timings right. It is, in my opinion, the best method to retain all the bees together and keep the colony as productive as possible.

my biggest producing colonies are all ones I've Demarree'd

 

[Erichalfbee]

No

So you leave them in two boxes?

 

[Tremyfro]

This is the method I intend using in my long hives next year. It will be a sideways demarree.....the bees will still be in the same hive and can be recombined. I couldn't do the lifting required in the vertical demarree....so I hope this works for me instead.

 

[For want of a better word]

Keeping a race of bees with a low tendency to swarm, and selection of non
swarmy strains are the first steps to swarm prevention... to quote!

Nos da

 

[Finman]

I do not use paper. I just pile them together.

So you leave them in two boxes?

When my hives swarm, they have often 4 boxes. In AS I give 1-2 boxes foundations to swarm part. Mostly 2

When I join them , they have 6 boxes. I collect from hives that size production units.

When I join depends on weathers, when the flow begins. If I join them and they have nothing to do, they start again swarming fever.

IT does not need to be from same hives. Important is put together brood, young bees and foragers.

Joining a swarm and early nuc is good idea.



.

 

[Finman]

Keeping a race of bees with a low tendency to swarm, and selection of non
swarmy strains are the first steps to swarm prevention... to quote!

Nos da

That is the basic truth. If this is not in condition, no method will help you.

If you like to live in hell, keep your swarmed queens in hives. Local mongrels will help you in that route.

.

 

[B+.]

Keeping a race of bees with a low tendency to swarm, and selection of non
swarmy strains are the first steps to swarm prevention... to quote!

You'd think everyone would be doing it already. Wouldn't you?

 

[For want of a better word]

That is the basic truth. If this is not in condition, no method will help you.

If you like to live in hell, keep your swarmed queens in hives. Local mongrels will help you in that route.

.

Best practice is to requeen those swarms with queen bees of your own line bred, low swarming, high productivity, sweet bees... you can work without smoke, thick gloves or even a full metal jacket beesuit!

Nos da

 

[For want of a better word]

You'd think everyone would be doing it already. Wouldn't you?

The Holy Grail... but with patience ... achievable!

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

Best practice is to requeen those swarms with queen bees of your own line bred, low swarming, high productivity, sweet bees... you can work without smoke, thick gloves or even a full metal jacket beesuit!

Nos da

When we speak about beginners, do not dream about your own strains.

Best practice is to buy from professionals who has over 500 hives.
.
Jessöör

 

[For want of a better word]

Best practice is to buy from professionals who has over 500 hives.

Why 500 hives ???.. I know a few breeders who have great results in quality queen breeding with far less!

Yeghes da

 

[pargyle]

This is the method I intend using in my long hives next year. It will be a sideways demarree.....the bees will still be in the same hive and can be recombined. I couldn't do the lifting required in the vertical demarree....so I hope this works for me instead.

No reason at all why it shouldn't .. I've never done it on a Long Hive so I'm not sure how it works .. someone like RAB will almost certainly have though ... you will need some sort of vertical queen excluder to separate the queen from the brood and you will need to think about where the hive entrance is in relation to separation. I have a feeling that Robin Dartington has a method in his booklet - I think you have a copy (I can't find mine at present) so you might want to have a rummage through there.

This video of Robin working one of the Beer Coolers will give you some ideas....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xs_OVl25lw

 

[B+.]

Best practice is to buy from professionals who has over 500 hives.

Why 500 hives ???.. I know a few breeders who have great results in quality queen breeding with far less!

Because; if you are busy managing lots of colonies, you can't afford the time to spend lots of time on each one.

 

[For want of a better word]

No reason at all why it shouldn't .. I've never done it on a Long Hive so I'm not sure how it works .. someone like RAB will almost certainly have though ... you will need some sort of vertical queen excluder to separate the queen from the brood and you will need to think about where the hive entrance is in relation to separation. I have a feeling that Robin Dartington has a method in his booklet - I think you have a copy (I can't find mine at present) so you might want to have a rummage through there.

This video of Robin working one of the Beer Coolers will give you some ideas....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Xs_OVl25lw

We artificially swarm the TBH using separator boards, moving the Champaign corks around and by rotating complete hive through 180 degrees.
A lot of faffing.. but then only kept for drone rearing and the endless entertainment they provide for normal beekeeperers on apiary visits!

Yeghes da

 

[Finman]

Best practice is to buy from professionals who has over 500 hives.

Why 500 hives ???.. I know a few breeders who have great results in quality queen breeding with far less!

Yeghes da

Actually I have bought queens from a professional, who has over 1000 hives, but his queens are not good quality. I know the reasons too.

Professionals can sell what ever. But our climate is not very friendly to the professional Queen breeders.

But own bee strain in small scale beekeeping.... Nonsense.
.

 

[For want of a better word]

Actually I have bought queens from a professional, who has over 1000 hives, but his queens are not good quality. I know the reasons too.

Professionals can sell what ever. But our climate is not very friendly to the professional Queen breeders.

But own bee strain in small scale beekeeping.... Nonsense.
.

OK I get you drift... if you have 10000000000000 colonies you have a massive and competent staff of dedicated beekeeperers and therfore one can spend a lot of time rearing good quality queens!

Nos da