> A commersial beekeepers organization here in Sweden which I belong to is
> looking into the possibility to find a management system that combines
> requeening with swarm prevention. We are presently trying to find ways to
> introduce cells/virgins into a hive without having to remove the old queen
> first. Can't say we
> got so far yet, and I'm looking forward to exchanging information here.
 
Splits are an easy way to introduce cells or queens compared to large
colonies.  The reduced populations accept queens better, and if you
can manage to have only young bees in the split, it will accept
queens better, although it may not do as well in the long run unless
recombined.
 
There are numbers of ways of doing the splits, but the easiest - and
thence my favourite follows:
 
If the timing and the season is right, here in Alberta, we can
reverse two storey colonies in late April, then split them in *half* in
the first week or two of May.  Ripe cells or queens - if available
cheaply (we have been selling cells for $2 CAD each) - can be
introduced then into each box.
 
Cells are much easier because they can just be popped into each half
of the split without searching for a queen.  If a protector is used,
then the ripe cell can be added immediately at the time of
splitting. Success is generally as good - or better-  than using mated
queens.
 
50% of the cells *may* be wasted, but then maybe not, because if one
in ten of the cells that is put blindly into a queenright half
emerges, gets mated and either lays alongside the old queen or
replaces her, then that will pay off well in increased production
and forstalled hive failure.  And the savings in labour and
simplification of management far more than offset that small loss.
 
At $2 each, the cost compares to 12 minutes of work for someone being
paid $10 per hour.  To introduce mated queens in 12 minutes each,
considering preparation time, travel time, instruction, finding queens,
making errors, etc is difficult. (I'm sure I'll get some flack on
this, but I'll stand by it).
 
Not everyone can handle cells sucessfully though, and a good source
of cells must be available. (I am presently looking for a supplier of
1000 to 1500 cells in May 1996.  Must be in Canada and must be within
an hour or two of a major airport in Canada and able to supply 300 to
500 quality cells at a time).
 
Mated queen success is generally very  possible, but with much more
work. The list has agreed some time back that the nuc method
described by another writer here recently is one of the best to
ensure success. Wire push in cages have good records too. Queens in
cages are much more hardy than cells, and the timing is not nearly
as critical, because they can be banked on a rainy day.
 
I have had limited luck with introducing mated queens into strong
colonies in the spring and although I know methods of doing so, I
prefer to avoid the many manipulations and the extra equipment
requirements.  Our bees are as much as 60 miles away and the weather
is often unco-operative, resulting in problems following a multi-step
procedure.
 
Sometimes success with mated queens runs 95%, another time success
can be 60%, so the cost of introducing a mated queen *can* run as
high as $25 CAD when all things are considered.
 
Cells typically run around 80% success and the failures can be
quickly identified and used to strengthen weaker splits in a routine
operation on a subsequent round.
 
We like the cell method, and will be writing more on this shortly.
 
Regards
 
Allen
 
W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper                                         VE6CFK
RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta  Canada T0M 1Y0  Internet:[log in to unmask]
Honey. Bees, Art, & Futures <http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka>