Have enjoyed all this discussion on swarm reduction methods. I now have
some other views to meld into mine. I liked the idea of fooling the bees
with a transplanted swarm cell or two. Seems though this would work very
well
with a frame bought down to the bottom isolated super with the old queen
or no queen?
        Old queen could stay topside without field bees, and just for
good measure transfer a couple cells up here also. Would make a great 2
Queen system. Two new swarm queens and perhaps an old one all laying.
Sounds to fantastic to be true.
 
        Let me say something about swarming. I had a few go last year and
you know something those colonies produced just as much as the ones that
didn't. I think there is a corollary between the number of bees that
leave and the amount of open brood space left. It seems that fewer bees
go if there is a lot of open (added) brood space, anyone notice this.
 
Alden Marshall
B-Line Apiaries
Hudson, NH 03051
[log in to unmask]
tel. 603-883-6764
 
On Fri, 6 Mar 1998 07:19:08 -0600 "Excerpts from BEE-L"
<[log in to unmask]> writes:
>From:          gpape <[log in to unmask]>
>Organization:  Sonneheerdt-Ermelo
>
>The system described looks a lot like the system that is widely used
>in
>Germany. I tried the method first last spring.
>
>Yes it works, at least with my hive under test. Doesn't every brutal
>disturbance reduce swarming?
>
>The method I used differs a little;
>1 Remove all boxes from bottomboard.
>2 Place broodbox with open brood, food and foundation.
>3 Place an open separator-device (Snelgrove) with flight-entrance
>open.
>4 Dont look for the Queen. Let her lay eggs.
>5/6/7 Place all the original hive bodies on top of the separator.
>8 After 9 days; bottom box has Q-cells and honey
>                top boxes dont like swarming, no flight-bees.
>9 Both sections have still the same smell in there little noses!
>Rearrange all boxes in original order. The temporarily bottom box can
>be
>used as honey super.
>10 Feel free to replace the Queen or not.
>
>---
>Disclaimer: The articles on Best of Bee are often opinion
>rather than fact, and are not necessarily completely researched.
>Use with caution -- and at your own risk.
>
 
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