Aaron Morris wrote:

> I still check my hives for signs of impending
> swarms, but now when I find hives in imminent swarm condition I don't bother to
> attempt to keep the bees at home, rather, I split the hive into as many nucs as
> I am able to make up using the swarm cells at hand.

I did this too this year with a good colony that started many swarm cells.  I
broke it down into 7 nucs, each with at least 1 or 2 swarm cells, plus a small
split with the original queen and no swarm cells.  I stacked the nucs on the
original stand, since I operate my hives with multiple openings in all brood
chambers anyway, and bees continued to go in and out into all the nucs.

However, after two weeks when I examined the nucs, every one of them had torn down
the swarm cells and were busily storing nectar in all available cells.  I decided
to reunite the "nucs" and restore the original colony.  I was sort of surprised
that they didn't raise a single queen from all those swarm cells.  I wonder if I
had taken the nucs away and distributed them in other yards if they would have
done the same.  Any thoughts, Aaron or anyone else?

Ted Fischer
Dexter, Michigan USA