Too early for a shook swarm?

[GaryB]

More you tube videos by searching for Ian Johnson beekeeping, you will see why he took a dislike to you and he is anti brother Adam. Looks like Ian and Ewan are the same person.

Would you ever shake a queen off a frame she was occupying during an inspection, just so you could see the cells beneath her better?

 

[Erichalfbee]

You should look on the BBKA FB site - there's some pompous idiots on there who not only think it's fine to do it right now but seem to think it's compulsory to do it annually!!

I can't understand that. What a waste of brood and drawn comb and horrid for the bees when judicious use of OAV keeps varroa at manageable levels. Somebody is waiting for bees to make swarm preps then shaking them all into a new box. I thought swarming was good for bees and NORMAL.

 

[Erichalfbee]

yes, but she also claims her colonies have increased from 300 four weeks ago to 850 now!!

She seems to be buying out smaller beekeepers...mind you, that's a lot of beeks to buy out.

 

[Poly Hive]

I think the answer is this.

4c here.

Since midnight last night 9.4mm rain with more forecast, actually another 12 hours of.

I rest my case.

PH

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I can't understand that. What a waste of brood and drawn comb and horrid for the bees when judicious use of OAV keeps varroa at manageable levels. Somebody is waiting for bees to make swarm preps then shaking them all into a new box. I thought swarming was good for bees and NORMAL.

The daftest statement was it has to be done to keep varoa levels down but he doesn't waste the brood as he donates it (mite riddled cells and all) to weaker colonies!!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Who is Kevin Mewis by the way?

 

[Plenty of honey]

I think the answer is this.

4c here.

Since midnight last night 9.4mm rain with more forecast, actually another 12 hours of.

I rest my case.

PH

Perfect for comb building, when he opens that hive in a week or two, it will be bristling with lovely white comb and bursting full of bees.

Ive been reading all the posts since the start and looking at some of the videos released. I am really in disbelief that any so called beekeeper, let alone a beekeeper claiming to offer teaching and mentoring, should consider such an operation, with all the overwhelming contraindications
What comes across over all this, is that there seems to be a lot out there who believe that if its written in stone, its reality and thats what must be done.

Ive made a few mistakes in the past i can tell you and i will probably make a few more, none of us are perfect but these people never admit heir wrong, just keep shutting down comments and backing each other up with more pats on the back and misleading more new beekeepers as they start out!
in all the videos I've seen, I have never seen a full hive, always weak colonies, always manipulating them, always adding a super too early.
Ive picked up the expression from another beekeeper, "the more i know, the more i realise i dont know." you will never hear these words from the likes of these people.

 

[Nige.Coll]

You should look on the BBKA FB site - there's some pompous idiots on there who not only think it's fine to do it right now but seem to think it's compulsory to do it annually!!

I was there. I use my name most places.

 

[Nige.Coll]

Katie Hayward of felin honey bees says on the National Trust website that she gets 100lb a hive

You can do it if there is no one else around. depends on forage.
Anyone can put a hive in a national park and get loads of honey if there aren't any other bees around. It's only 3 supers, all those manicured flower beds. Not so easy as an average per hive. Beekeepers tend to exaggerate .

Tony maggs would be able to answer honestly he runs amm as a business. I will ask him next time I see him but that may be a while.

 

[Millet]

She seems to be buying out smaller beekeepers...mind you, that's a lot of beeks to buy out.

Does She do discount for dirty deeds done Cheap ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Who is Kevin Mewis by the way?

I don't know - you'll probably meet him Saturday.

He seems to have some 'interesting' ideas but at least he's not obsessed with shook swarming

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Does She do discount for dirty deeds done Cheap ...

Thunderstruck - probably be on a highway to hell pretty soon.

 

[Fatbee]

I don't know - you'll probably meet him Saturday.

He seems to have some 'interesting' ideas but at least he's not obsessed with shook swarming

Interesting to say the least. After first inspection of the year if you add 4 supers immediately they won't swarm until in the third - guaranteed! Sounds dicey to me.

Have to admit having only just found BBKA FB it's nice to come back here for some sanity. Some posts I look at and wonder if people are putting up fake news. Most peoples bees appear to becswarming any minute. Really don't know why people get so obsessed with it and blame bees for swarming. Do wonder why some folk keep bees.

 

[birdsandbees]

Have to admit having only just found BBKA FB it's nice to come back here for some sanity. Some posts I look at and wonder if people are putting up fake news. Most peoples bees appear to becswarming any minute. Really don't know why people get so obsessed with it and blame bees for swarming. Do wonder why some folk keep bees.

I've come close to leaving the group a few times as I find myself getting wound up by some of the drivel that gets posted, some aren't even clever enough to cover their tracks when telling porkies, such as claiming to have high numbers of colonies when commenting on a thread then posting separately about their few hives in the garden that they have just painted etc.

 

[Finman]

.
Wiki:
The Demaree method is a term used in beekeeping that describes a swarming prevention method. The method was first published by George Demaree (1832–1915) in an article in the American Bee Journal in 1884. It involves separation of the queen from the brood. However, it requires a great deal of labor and time.

Separate queen and brood? But the idea was not throw brood into a bin.

When you split the hives, halves become mostly so weak, that colonies cannot swarm during normal swarming period.. But I have met Carniolan bees which swarm despite of the colony size. Swarming and reproduction is so important to them.
.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Interesting to say the least. After first inspection of the year if you add 4 supers immediately they won't swarm until in the third - guaranteed! Sounds dicey to me.

Ah...but he's promised to supply a Ged Marshall queen to any that fail. Perhaps it could be a way of requeening your apiary

 

[Erichalfbee]

I've come close to leaving the group a few times as I find myself getting wound up by some of the drivel that gets posted

There's a chap, of some reputed experience, who shook swarms all his colonies every year "to avoid the build up of pesticides and disease" in his bees.
It makes me wonder, if he has issues with the amount of toxic substances in his brood combs after just the one season, what the devil he has in his honey.
He says he has had EFB a few times so perhaps he is OCD over prevention. No need to quote the NBU advice on shook swarming and suggest that everybody should do it, one would think?

 

[domino]

Shook swarms are getting a bad rap here.

They are fine in the correct context.

 

[colinc]

At least they won't lose swarms...the colonies will never get chance to build up, won't need to find as big an outlet for all that honey stuff either...time consuming business getting rid of that sticky stuff too!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[birdsandbees]

Shook swarms are getting a bad rap here.

They are fine in the correct context.

exactly what I posted on the original Pootube video, just pointed out that this was not the right time and situation to carry out the manipulation.