From: "waldemar ' I'd be very interested in a clever way to induce
supercedure since then the 'failing' queen would lay eggs into queen cups
and the larva age would be 'best''

This is very easy - just relocate some brood frames to a position in the
hive where the queen will not patrol the combs (and so not leave foot
pheromone) and bees will not pass thru on their way in and out of the hive.
The regular way to manage my long boxes is to move 3 to 9 deep brood frames
right to the back of the box once the spring expansion of the brood nest has
reached its peak - the bees will typically start around 6 queen cells.
These can be seen to be supercedure cells as they are still unsealed 7 days
later - the resultant queens certainly seem good to me.  The division board
goes in then and the rear nuc raises a new queen for the colony by flying
from the rear entrance that is then opened. I assume the reduced amount of
pheromone reaching the nurse bees in that area is 'read' by those bees as a
sign the queen is failing - so supercedure kicks in.  Presumably this would
also work by lifting a super of brood right to the top of a tiered hive -
but harder  lifting - and making a temporary  upper entrance leaves you
managing the hive with bees flying back at face level.

Robin Dartington

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