At 07:56 PM 5/16/96 +0000, you wrote:
> "Laura A. Downey" <[log in to unmask]> wrote
>
>>   As to what may have happened in one of my hives, do you think my bees
>>were more likely to be superceding their queen or did they really have the
>>impulse to swarm?  I thought there was a way to tell by the location of the
>>queen cells - if the cells are in the center of the frames, it is a
>>supercedure, if the cells are on the bottom of the frames, then it is a
>>swarm impulse.
>
>You are correct.
>         While we are discussing swarm control in all it's facets nobody has
>mentioned what I consider to be the easiest check. On the hive examination
>'look for eggs' a hive will not swarm leaving open brood.
>        So.. subject to timing ie. how old the open brood or eggs are helps
>to determine if and when that hive will swarm.
>        If you don't find eggs, then you're probably too late. In that case,
>make a false swarm and split, unless of course you want to give your bees to
>a neighbour!!
>
>    ****************************************************
>   * David Eyre          9 Progress Drive, Unit 2,  *
>   * The Beeworks,    Orillia, Ontario, L3V 6H1. *
>   * [log in to unmask]      705-326-7171 *
>   * http://www.muskoka.net/~beeworks           *
>   *  Agents for: E H Thorne &  B J Sherriff UK. *
>   ****************************************************
>
Hi David
 
I have to disagree that bees will not swarm leaving open brood.  Here, we
use single hive bodies and that may be the difference, but I have seen
colonies swarm leaving open brood.  The case may be made that they were
under stress and swarmed. I used to try cutting swarm cells and found out
the hard way that if the urge is strong enough, they will swarm leaving open
brood and open queen cells.
 
Frank Humphrey
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