Hi Tom -
People can be highly opinionated on this - some claim that using swarm
cells or even hiving swarms is perpetuating the swarming tendency.  Just as
you mentioned.
 
However, it may be helpful to bear in mind that swarming is the natural
method of colony reproduction, and happens anyway.  Asking why bees swarm
is sort-of like asking why birds migrate.  It's the species' modus
operandi.  Now, granted, some stocks will swarm less than others, and some
will swarm more readily.  It depends partially on the weather, the forage
available, colony growth cycle in a certain area, age of queen, genetics
etc.  It would very difficult to tease these elements apart in order to
make unequivocal comparisions.
 
Queen cells constructed under the swarming impulse can certainly yield
excellent queens.  For one, the colony is very strong, so the q. cells are
large and well-provisioned.  The queens are being produced in a time of
plenty, & when there are LOTS of nurse-bees available to nourish them.
This is not always the case when cells are built and queens reared under an
emergency impulse.
 
When it comes to hiving stray swarms, some people claim you shouldn't even
go after them.  The reasoning is, once again, that they are bees that have
"proven" their propensity to swarm, and so are not valuble.  I disagree
here, for a couple of reasons.  First, any swarm is likely to have come
from a strong colony, that has overwintered well.  Just having stocks that
are good at overwintering is worth quite a bit!  That is a desirable trait,
for sure.
 
Also, they became strong despite the mites, presumably, so *may have some
level of resistance to disease.  (I.e., they might have come from an
untreated or feral colony.) There is often concern that stray swarms might
carry
AFB or other diseases, but chances are a diseased parent colony woudn't
have built up strong enough to swarm in the first place.
 
I wouldn't (& don't) hesitate to utilize swarm-cells or hive a swarm.  You
can always cull out a poor stock later anyway, should you find that a
resulting queen/colony happens to possess some really undesirable trait.
After the past dozen years or so of heavy losses, IMO any bees that are
still alive are valuble!
 
What say?
 
>Hi All
>
>I am reading up on this subject and I am grateful for the assistance I
>obtained recently. I am a beginner beekeeper and I am trying to understand
>some of the theory of this highly complex activity. Some questions come to
>mind, and I thought I would put then out for comment.
>
>Many methods of swarm control, consist of the beekeeper taking action when
>the swarming procedures have been initiated by the bees. Am I correct in
>saying, that by using queen cells raised in response to the swarming
>impulse, that we are perpetuating the swarming propensity, when what we
>should be doing is lessening it?. If this be the case, then the Artificial
>Swarming method of Swarm Control is really only creating a demand for itself.
>
>Conversely, does this not make the Demaree or the Snelgrove or the Jenter
>systems superior, since the queens which are raised are not raised in
>response to the swarming impulse (or are they).?
>
>
>Sincerely
>Tom Barrett
>49 South Park
>Foxrock
>Dublin 18
>Ireland
>
>e mail [log in to unmask]
>Tel + 353 1 289 5269
>Fax + 353 1 289 9940
>
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