What is your swarm plan for this season?

[birdsandbees]

I usually get my thrills from the swarms that I get called out to. I do have a two year old to replace though, but I take my lead from them.

I'm shocked you have the nerve to say that! Didn't you know that swarms are dirty, nasty horrible things that you have to charge to collect!

 

[Tremyfro]

Yikes.....not had to deal with a swarm yet...this year will be challenging. I'm hoping that the horizontal demarree will satisfy the swarming instincts but if not then I will make some nucs. I will combine later and hopefully this will release some of the older frames. Then I will get to use my homemade wax melter. I would like to get my bees onto fresh comb this year.

 

[Griffo]

My hives are quite close to the house, one is in view. Also we have no near neighbours and I can keep quite a close watch. So my plan for this year is to leave them to it and hope I'm here when they swarm, so I can collect the swarm and start a new colony. This approach worked well last year, by accident.

 

[For want of a better word]

Clip & Tip

10 minutes to find queen and clip one wing.
3 minutes to tip BB or B1/2 and check for q cells.
May even get time to go sailing this year!

Yeghes da

 

[k9rml]

I will use a Horsley board again this year worked well for me last season

 

[dpearce4]

last year I did this:-

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/twoqueen.html

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/twoqueen2.html

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/two_queen_board.html

It worked reasonably well but I was late with my splits, end of may instead of the beginning of may. I learnt that doing it late made a big difference and I wont make that mistake again.

Last year was just a big mess for my beekeeping due to the lovely Erin being born and not having the kit ready. I have learnt by that mistake and am ready for this year, I have enough kit made for it to work I hope. and cant wait for the evenings to be lighter then I can start getting more spare stuff ready when my daughter is asleep.

 

[ellypatt]

Pagden works for me. I like to keep an elderly queen in a small colony for outings in the observation hive, saves disturbing productive colonies.

 

[Fatbee]

last year I did this:-

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/twoqueen.html

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/twoqueen2.html

http://www.drawhive.co.uk/two_queen...em that works with the bees so I'm all for it

 

[Fatbee]

My hives are quite close to the house, one is in view. Also we have no near neighbours and I can keep quite a close watch. So my plan for this year is to leave them to it and hope I'm here when they swarm, so I can collect the swarm and start a new colony. This approach worked well last year, by accident.

You might get the first swarm but will you get the second....

I hope you have a tall ladder for when they go to the top of the tallest tree.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Demaree.

But not creating splits as all my colonies have survived (so far) and I don't want to expand numbers.

Might replace some queens though.

And I'll use the opportunity to replace the old comb in the current brood boxes.

Dusty.

 

[BMH]

My hives are quite close to the house, one is in view. Also we have no near neighbours and I can keep quite a close watch. So my plan for this year is to leave them to it and hope I'm here when they swarm, so I can collect the swarm and start a new colony. This approach worked well last year, by accident.

I think this is a good idea. I'm from Mold too.

I'm totally going to catch your swarms!!

 

[DerbyBee]

I plan to AS/Split when I spot queen cells and then look into making a NUC to overwinter around end of June. Using frames from the two hives or one of the stronger hives. Viable option?

 

[Nige.Coll]

I've had a very stern word with mine and they are not allowed to swarm.

Panic, panic ,panic then pagden method and unite later.

 

[B+.]

I've had a very stern word with mine and they are not allowed to swarm.

I like this approach

Young queens in their first year don't usually swarm if they have enough space to lay. Keeping a strain that has been selected for non-swarming behaviour works for me.
I pay particular attention to queens in their second year of testing as these are "supposed" to be more likely to swarm. They rarely make swarming preparations but, if they do, these aren't the colonies I want to breed from so they are broken down and used as nucs after all relevant data has been collected

 

[alldigging]

Which method of a Snelgrove did you use? I used modified method 2 and liked it despite it seeming implausible leaving queen cells with the queen. Also good if you're in a rush and don't have time to find the queen.

The wally shaw one

http://www.wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Swarm-Control-Wally-Shaw.pdf

 

[Erichalfbee]

I did two of those and neither worked for me so it's back to tried and tested Pagden

 

[WoodenBeam]

My plan is not to interfere. No seven day inspections, no queen clipping, no problem. Let them throw reproductive swarms, catch some, lose some. Let's call it a KISS plan.

At least notifiable dieases aren't widespread in Essex so you won't be adding to issues such as these - hopefully.....

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/public/BeeDiseases/regionalDiseaseCharts.cfm?series=Eastern England

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Demarree and Pagden for me - although it seems obvious on this thread that a few on here believe that just because they're 'saving the bees' that 'anti social beekeeping' is the way forward.

 

[madasafish]

I tried "saving the bees". It's round objects unless you live in a warm climate where they don't need saving. If you have harsh winters, "saving the bees" will not and does not work...

Edit
Horsley Board and AS here..

 

[Obee1]

Please share.

PH

What was your preferred method of swarm control PH?