When to Demaree?

[jenkinsbrynmair]

My back lawn is a haven for ants .

when I moved into Brynmair there were more than two established ant colonies on the back lawn/orchard area I had to take away three or four barrowloads of anthills just to make the lawn vaguely flat

 

[Erichalfbee]

no, ours aren't that adept at cheating

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks. I've had bees for 9 months. All 7 of my colonies have so far survived winter. I'm planning for spring and didn't know the appropriate time to Demaree. Thanks.

If you understand what a Demaree is trying to achieve you can work out when to do one. Like a lot of things Bee, you do manipulations to suit the bees not the calendar.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I often have ants on my crown boards. They take eggs up there to keep them warm and as soon as I remove the roofs they pick up the eggs and scurry away down the hive carting the eggs with them. Never see them actuall attempting to get in the hive.

 

[Antipodes]

I often have ants on my crown boards. They take eggs up there to keep them warm and as soon as I remove the roofs they pick up the eggs and scurry away down the hive carting the eggs with them. Never see them actuall attempting to get in the hive.

Some ants here eat their way into the hive through the wooden sides. Proper ants.
They also know how to defend themselves here too. I remember a cousin visiting from the UK. We were sitting on a beach and one of the world's deadliest ants (the infamous Jack jumper ant) came jumping towards him across the sand ...their attacking manoeuvre. After a nervous giggle or two and briefly feigning bravery, he quickly removed himself from danger.

 

[philat98]

I have the first queen cells. If I make a Demaree how often do I need to check the brood box? I assume they can build queen cells at the bottom as well as the top or is that unlikely?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Too late to Demaree.

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

You need to AS

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have the first queen cells. If I make a Demaree how often do I need to check the brood box?

too late to Demarree

 

[philat98]

too late to Demarree

I have 4 hives with only one building queen cells. I am following the Barnsley Bee Keepers recipe for Demaree.
https://barnsleybeekeepers.org.uk/the-demaree-method/

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have 4 hives with only one building queen cells. I am following the Barnsley Bee Keepers recipe for Demaree.
https://barnsleybeekeepers.org.uk/the-demaree-method/

The first paragraph says the method is preemptive before you see queen cells.
If the others are ready by all means do them but not the one with queen cells.
Are you sure they are Queen cells not Queen cups.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I am following the Barnsley Bee Keepers recipe for Demaree.
https://barnsleybeekeepers.org.uk/the-demaree-method/

The worse people to follow as (and I've read their 'advice') they haven't much of a clue about Demaree or how it works

 

[philat98]

The worse people to follow as (and I've read their 'advice') they haven't much of a clue about Demaree or how it works

I was attracted by the simplicity of their method and the nice web page.

 

[philat98]

The first paragraph says the method is preemptive before you see queen cells.
If the others are ready by all means do them but not the one with queen cells.
Are you sure they are Queen cells not Queen cups.

No they were queen cells with larva.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

try this, but you will need to do a proper artificial swarm on the colony with queen cells

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

 

[philat98]

try this, but you will need to do a proper artificial swarm on the colony with queen cells

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

Thanks for that link. I hadn't thought about an upper entrance. In summer I let them fly out of the top of the hive to give them an airflow. In July and August it is normally above 35C.

 

[Erichalfbee]

try this, but you will need to do a proper artificial swarm on the colony with queen cells

https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/demaree.46464/

Isn’t that the link I posted?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Isn’t that the link I posted?

sorry! I missed that post I only saw your post quoting the Barnsley link (that's why I got confused about your comment on 'preemptive' as the Barnsley mob advise to wait until you see QC's!)