Many hobby beekeepers spend a lot of spring time going through hives and
cutting swarm cells. I think it's an enormous waste.
I can't even justify that for one time. If you are requeening, then
you'd probably want to cut all the cells out. But they have already decided
that they want to make their own, and I believe that cuts the acceptance
rates for introduced queens. It's safer to introduce a mated queen into
brood from non-swarmy bees.
Swarming is the natural means of reproduction. Once the decision has been
made, you are fighting nature to cut cells. Why not help nature along, or at
least get the bees to think that they have already reproduced.
Besides being a real time waster, cutting cells will inevitably lead to
one missed cell. And likely it will be a tiny afterthought-type, that makes
a small, poor queen. That will be your queen....after your bees go off to
the woods.
We have to keep in mind that the old queen is shot. When bees build cells,
her days are numbered. If they swarm, she will lay only briefly, then will
be superceded in the new location. If she can't fly, a virgin will establish
the swarm in the new spot. I have seen swarms with a dozen virgins already
present, along with the old queen.
If you try to keep her going, you may succeed for a while, but the colony
will eventually go downhill. Or they may cast a midsummer swarm.
Our general practice, when we find swarm cells, is to break up the colony.
You can make up two to four nucs with cells in each, and not bother to look
for the old queen. Remember, she is a goner, anyway. The bees, now satisied
with their reproductive urges, will go on and build into good colonies with
young queens.
Oops. Time to get off my soapbox and go "deliver" some baby hives, before
they "deliver" without a midwife.
PS: So NICE to FINALLY see bees with their bellies full!
[log in to unmask] Dave Green, PO Box 1200, Hemingway, SC 29554
Practical Pollination Home Page
http://users.aol.com/pollinator/polpage1.html
|
