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Subject:
From:
Joel Govostes <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Discussion of Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 22 Feb 1998 08:00:18 -0400
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In England there is a very nice beginners' manual entitled BEES AT THE
BOTTOM OF THE GARDEN, published fairly recently, and that includes an
excellent artificial swarming procedure, well illustrated and simple.
Sorry, but I can't recall the author's name.
 
ABC & XYZ of BEE CULTURE by Root has an entry about artificial swarming,
but it is not so descriptive.
 
Basically you take the queen and a couple frames of brood (and some food)
and put them at the center of a new hive.  Any swarm-cells on these combs
are removed during the transfer.  This new hive goes on the stand of the
original colony, and the excluder and original honey supers go on the new
brood-chamber.
 
The original brood chamber is then placed on a clean floor, on a stand to
one side, and fed with sugar syrup.  They rear a queen and are soon
building up on their own.  The two units can be run separately from then
on, adding supers as required, or, in time they can be re-united into a
double-brood hive if increase is not desired.
 
This plan is pretty straightforward, and can be altered as required. Some
advocates recommend moving the original brood chamber after several days so
it sits on the opposite side of the orig. stand, diverting more of the
foragers to the other hive.
 
I have never tried this artificial swarming, but would be interested to
hear about the results users have had.
 
"Shook swarming" is not quite the same idea -- you end up shaking most of
the colony onto a small brood chamber of foundation, which requires more of
an educated guess, and its success is largely dependent on the weather
during the first few weeks afterwards.  IME anyway.              Best
wishes to all.  JG

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