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> From: Paul Cronshaw, D.C. <[log in to unmask]>
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Artificial Swarm
> Date: Friday, April 18, 1997 2:43 PM
>
> A local beekeeper called me today and said he had a few extra queens left
> over, and would I like to have them.  Of course!!
>
> When I arrived at his honey shed,  he showed me a 50 queen cage package
> with attendants.  As he picked up the box, there was a tremendous roar.
>
> "Watch this", he said.
>
> We went outside and he opened the box. All the attendants came rushing
out
> and proceeded to fly into the air just like a swarm.
>
> He said, "Just think what would have happened if I had opened the box to
> get your two queen cages INSIDE my honey house."
>
> The bees circled around and then came right back to the Queen Hotel.
> Amazing.  They acted just like homing pigeons.
>
> Anyone have an idea why they would do this? Cleansing flight?
>
> How long can I keep a queen cage with attendants before I put her into a
> hive?  I can't get these gals into a new hive until 2 days from now. I
plan
> to make some nucs on top of weaker queen right hives separated by a
double
> wire board, and then requeen these colonies.
>
> Should I feed the attendants sugar candy or honey?
>
> I am thrilled to be part of this BEE-list.  After 25 years of keeping
bees,
> I still learn new things, thanks to BEE-list subscribers. This is a great
> global sharing forum.
>
> Paul Cronshaw DC
> Cyberchiro and Hobby Beekeeper
> Santa Barbara,  CA
 
You can set up a queen nursery as follows:
        1. Put a queen excluder on top of the brood chamber of the nursery hive.
        2. Put a super on over  the excluder.
        3. Remove all attendants from the cages so they will not fight with the
house       bees.
        4. Place queen cages, screen side down, over the openings between the
                           topbars of the super.
        5. Invert the inner cover and place back on the hive.
 
Use a well populated queen right colony, that is raising brood.  Italians
are best and Yugos sometimes let the queens starve.  I have kept queens
this way for over 2 months.  When using the queens, I put them in their new
hive for 4 days and then release them manually.  I have also transferred
them to cages with candy so that the bees can release them.  Most of the
queens will be laying the next day so check in about 3 days to make sure
she is laying a good pattern.
 
If the hive you plan to use has several supers, put the queens on top of
one that the bees are working.
 
If there is a dearth, the colony needs to be fed or else they won't always
feed the stored queens.
 
Frank Humphrey
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