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In a message dated 26/10/2008 16:26:26 GMT Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
The key, however, is dividing. Natural colonies
swarm regularly and I believe this is partly to rejuvenate the hive
To amplify what Peter wrote: the shook swarm will separate the bees from
many of their pests and diseases. If you shake them onto starter strips and
leave it for a couple of days before giving them a feed (if there's little
nectar coming it) they will digest any AFB spores in their guts. There will be a
break in brood rearing so any mites they're carrying will be desperate to
breed and will enter the first new brood cells just before they are capped.
Time it right and you will be able to remove that first patch of sealed brood
and take away the vast majority of the mites. You can do this at dandelion
time so they have time to re-build their strength before the main flow. You've
probably solved most of the usual problems for the season in one go.
A less drastic method is the artificial swarm. This is done in the swarming
season ie, when there are drones around. The queen, on a frame of unsealed
brood, is placed on the old site and frames with starter strips fill the
remainder of the brood nest. Add queen excluder and supers. All the flying bees
will return to reinforce her. At first they will have a strong foraging force
and virtually no brood to feed, and nowhere but the supers to put the incoming
nectar (maybe it would be a good idea to add another super if there's a flow
on). Again, remove the first sealed brood with the mites. The remainder of
the colony will have plenty of stores [check - feed if really necessary] and
nurse bees but no queen substance. They will rear queen cells. Sometimes in
their rush they may choose larvae above the optimum age so be prepared to
look in on day 4 and remove any that are already sealed PROVIDED that there are
also some unsealed ones.
The remainder are of known maximum age and so you can plan what to do next
according to your needs. You could take a crop of queen cells to re-queen
other colonies if you are satisfied with the initial colony's health and temper.
You could split again to make further increase. Simplest would be to allow
the new queen to emerge, mate and start laying. Again, remove the first
sealed brood. After that you can run the two hives as separate colonies; you can
use the daughter colony to reinforce the parent from time to time during the
season by moving it to the other side of the parent. Towards the end of the
season you can unite them, allowing the bees, in their own time, to choose
between mother and daughter. Then you have only one strong colony to get through
the winter.
One last point: if you use starter strips the hive must be level. This is
easily achieved with a spirit level (or a bottle of drink) and some wooden
wedges.
Chris
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