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Full-name: KingBeeJRV
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Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 11:42:55 EDT
Subject: Re: queens from swarm cells
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Hello bee friends,
My opinion:
I have never believed raising queens from swarm cells breeds bees that are
prone to swarm.  Swarming is natural way a healthy hive ensures the survival
of the species.  All hives will raise swarm cells and swarm if they are
healthy.  Proper management of these healthy hive by splitting and adding new
foundation is a good way to expand and ensure you keep the bees.  Other wise
they'll fly off into the wild.  Seems the queen breeder and bee sellers are
the people that I usually here negative comments about using swarms or swarm
cells.  Yet these same people will scale a 30 foot tree to catch the smallest
swarm before it gets away.  I don't see them killing the captured queen and
replacing it with one from a queen breeder.
For my self, I want those healthy swarms, their a gift.  I always recommend
taking preventive measures, medicate and treating for mites.  I would do this
even with package bees.

I DISAGREE: Raising queens from swarm cells has one big drawback.

If it wasn't for swarming there would bee no bee today.

John R. Valentine
CT