Al Avitabile sends his thoughts:

With reference to the Bee Culture article dated May 26, 2015 titled:" Tanging Works Well, With a Little Seed, written by Tom Davidson, on tanging a swarm".

   In the aforementioned article, the author stated that by tanging, he witnessed an airborne swarm returned to its hive, So in this case an exception to the usual function for tanging is noted. Tanging is employed traditionally to get an airborne swarm to alight on a near by object. Further, usually on an object within easy reach. In this case we have the claim that an airborne swarm did not alight on a branch or some other object as a consequence of being tanged but instead the tanging caused the swarm not alight on its colony but return to and reenter it.. Note, not any colony in this apiary but the exact colony it issued from as a result of tanging.

  In the case cited recently on B-L, the writer declared by tanging a clustered swarm was induced to break cluster and to move and recluster on a lower branch, Tanging is described as a method to get a swarm to cease flying and form a cluster on some object.This adds another new dimension to tanging which is to get an already clustered swarm to break cluster and recluster on an object that makes it more accessible to the beekeeper. So in this case tanging has a second function which is opposite it more traditional one which is to get a swarm to form a swarm cluster. This observation, gets a settled cluster to do the opposite and that is cause the swarm to break cluster become airborne again and then to recluster. Can a tanger have it both ways? Can bees contradict the stated purpose for tanging?

   If for the sake of discussion beekeepers could place a tanging devise run by a battery for example during the swarm season in their apiary any swarm that issued would return to their respective hive, a form of swarm prevention/control.

  While at Cornell on sabbatical leave in 1972, we witnessed  the same colony issue a swarm on 3 consecutive days, no one tanged and each time the swarm returned and reentered the colony it issued from---why? the queen failed to exit with the swarm. On the fourth day the swarm issued again and settled on what was then a four foot Norway spruce.

  It is interesting to note with reference to this topic, is how  an activity--Tanging-- which was never proven to actually work continues to persist through the centuries and continues to find supporters. 

Al Avitabile

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