Swarm utilisation

[Rosti]

I typically utilise a swarm by establishing it, then evaluating and finally deciding whether to add a colony or combine. I have been thinking about how I could short cut this and I have found limited research literature.

For the purpose of this debate can we leave nuc's and nuc generation to one side please.

Background

• I dont want to over winter more than 4 hives so I am at my limit
• I recognise that I'll end up with a couple more (or so) colonies during the season as a result of swarm control and I then recombine come autumn.
• I have been succesful with bait hives (5 takes last year, 3 year before) and want to utilise the bee numbers these takes can generate.
• Living in Yorkshire something for nothing is too much of a temptation!

Thinking

• Capture colony via bait hives
• [Wait until queen laying if necessary to find her]
• Identify and remove queen (re-use or what ever)
• Place brood box on a modified floor with a sliding perf metal base where the mesh would be
• Place a frame feeder in the brood box
• Remove all other frames
• grab the stargglers and leave queenless for 24 hrs
• Move to receipient hive
• Place on top with mod floor still between them
• leave 24 hours
• remove perf metal slider
• leave 24 hrs
• shake to main brood box and remove donor 'bait' brood box, re-assemble recipient hive
• Bees then do what bees do but with a population boost and I have a spare queen

Just musings at this stage, not a proven method, sort of a more convienient build on the paper method but without committing frames or allowing too much wasted effort (or time) in the captured colony, depends on making them queenless of course.

Thoughts? Flaws? Improvements? - all appreciated for reflection over winter.

Tx R

 

[oliver90owner]

Dunno about the rest, but uniting with an 'OMF' screen (or travelling screen) seems something to remember, if a newspaper cannot be found. Only downside, if at an out apiary, seems to be two visits.

I prefer to let the collected colonies do their own thing, away from the rest for a while, until I am confident of their health status.

Regards, RAB