Return-path: [log in to unmask] From: [log in to unmask] Full-name: KingBeeJRV Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1999 11:42:55 EDT Subject: Re: queens from swarm cells To: [log in to unmask] MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Mailer: AOL 4.0 for Windows 95 sub 13 Reply-To: [log in to unmask] 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