From: Kurt Bower <[log in to unmask]>
> Can you split anytime after you detect swarm cells? Will this stop them,
Yup, if you do it right.
> or will you simply have 2 swarms instead of 1?
And yes, if you simply split, while leaving multiple cells in
them, you could get multiple small swarms.
First, move the parent colony to a new spot. This is critically
important!
(OK, this is going to be a detailed explanation, so you will have
to read carefully and think thru each idea. There are many factors to
keep in mind. Beekeepers with years of experience deal with this
rapidly and by habit, without consciously going thru the reasoning,
but newbies need to *think* at every step.)
I generally just move the "swarmy hive" over onto a new pallet, or
onto a space where there had been a deadout. This will "lose" the
field force, and almost guarantee that they will not swarm, even if
they have the old queen and/or multiple cells. It only needs to move
three or four feet. You can move it thirty feet, if you want, but
you'll do more walking back and forth while finishing the process.
Then put a made-up nuc with a frame of brood, a frame of honey,
and preferably ONE swarm cell on the old site. Try not to include the
old queen, though they can be hard to find if they have already shut
her down. Do not put too many bees in this nuc, as it will gain the
field force, and having only one cell; they will not swarm. It
probably should have a full sized box, rather than a nuc box, because
it will have a large population in only a few hours of flight. You
can use some frames of foundation if there will be a flow for awhile.
You can stop at this point, having divided your colony into two
that are now unlikely to swarm. But you may have many more frames of
brood with many queen cells in that parent colony. Why not use them
to advantage?
These frames with cells (from the old colony) can be used to make
nucs. But it's best to put them in screened nuc boxes, move to a new
location at least 2 miles away, then open them. A nuc can be made
with one frame of brood, including one or more queen cells on it.
Handle gently as the cells are fragile. Depending on whether you have
a 3-frame, 4-frame, or 5-frame nuc box, you can include another frame
of brood without swarm cells. Include also a frame of honey, as they
will not have a large field force to feed the new colony for awhile.
Make sure there are enough adult bees to cover the brood for any cold
nights that may come up. They are unlikely to swarm, even if they
have multiple cells, as they are adapting to a new spot.
(Normally I like to make a 5-frame nuc with one frame of mostly
sealed brood, a queen cell or caged queen, another frame with some
pollen and perhaps partial brood, open or sealed, a frame of honey. a
frame of drawn comb, and a frame of foundation, and enough adult bees
to cover all brood, in case of cold nights. That way they are covered
for all eventualities. If it is poor weather, they have the honey to
keep them from starving. If there is a good flow, they have some comb
and some foundation to draw.)
If you remove very many of the adult bees from your original site
(by sealing them up in carried-away nucs), keep in mind that you
won't get so many field bees to go back to the nuc on the original
site, so adjust its strength accordingly.
You can sell the nucs you make as there is a good market for them.
But you would also be wise to keep at least one nuc for each ten
hives you maintain, at least until mid-summer. Then you have them
ready to drop right into problem hives (queenless or "chalkbroody"
or...) whenever needed.
It's always better if you catch hives BEFORE they swarm. I hate
working bees after they have swarmed. If I had my druthers, I'd
rather keep the swarm and let someone else have the old colony. The
old colony may throw several swarms, and when done, will have only a
lot of honey, and a bunch of mean old bees, and likely a virgin,
which is hard to spot, and never certain to get mated.
If they have just swarmed, within the past day or two, It's
important to work the parent colony ASAP. Look closely at each frame
for cells. Hatched cells are chewed evenly all around at the tip,
often leaving a hinged lid. Killed cells are torn down on the side.
If there are still viable cells, they are preventing the virgin(s)
from tearing them down, and are planning an afterswarm. Split right
away!
But be careful; a hatched cell can sometimes swing that "lid"
back, and they reseal it, so it looks like a viable cell, but has
nothing inside. Or it may have a worker trapped inside (backwards
from the queen position). You can gently scrape the tip to see if it
pops open and is empty. If you see fibrous material under the wax,
and the bees show a lot of interest in the cell, it is probably a
live cell.
If all cells are hatched or torn down, you have lost a prime swarm
several days ago, and probably two or three afterswarms. You can wait
to see if they get the virgin mated OK. If they don't, they will get
progressively meaner, and will die out, having no way to raise
another queen. You can greatly improve the odds of colony survival;
give them another chance to raise a queen, if the first failed; get
them up-and-going faster; and keep them from getting so mean, by
giving them a frame or two of brood, with at least a few eggs. DON'T
waste a caged queen by giving one at this time. They will certainly
kill it. Caged queens should always have sealed brood around them at
introduction. This will give her the young bees who will care for
her. Never risk a caged queen, either, if there are cells, or
possibly virgin queens in the hive. It's a waste.
If you have already bought queens, and must use them, use them to
make nucs, then add back to the problem colonies later as an entire
nuc, with her young bees surrounding the queen, and a good flow or a
little feed to make the old bees happy enough to leave her alone.
As I said, I hate working bees that have already gone. They are
real time-wasters; they cost you (brood), without giving you anything
in return for your time. But adding a frame (or two) of brood with
eggs, and closing them up, is the best thing to do. Mark the date, so
you can check later for queen mating.
It's at times like this, you see why new beekeepers are always
advised to start with at least two hives, as trading frames of brood
is about the only way to deal with problems after swarming. Three or
four hives is better yet. The guy with one hive had better have some
beekeeper friends nearby, who are willing to trade around. And a
couple nuc boxes are also an essential item for any beekeepers, even
ones with only one hive.
Dave SC USA
The Pollination Home Page: http://pollinator.com
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
-- Visit www.honeybeeworld.com/BEE-L for rules, FAQ and other info ---
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
|
