On Sat, 1 Apr 1995, Dave Green, Eastern Pollinator Newsletter wrote: > Dear Bee-L'ers: > > We arrived back from our Florida bees last week to South Carolina, to find > swarms galore. The season is about a week early, and I am about a week later > than I had wanted to be. Dewberries are in full bloom. > > For those of you a little farther north, especially if you might get busy > and not get back to the bees on a timely basis, now is a good time to stack > your deadouts on top of something (Do a post mortem to make sure there's no > AFB scale first). > > We've found eight so far that have been occupied by happy swarms, and we've > caught two (not from our bees). I say set the deadouts up, because they > will attract swarms much better if they are higher, though sometimes they > will even come into low hives too. > > Right now we are on fast forward. We've been splitting the bees that are > swarmy, and so far, have been mostly ahead of them, which gives us lots of > cells. I used to avoid using swarm cells, reasoning that that encourages the > swarmy trait in bees, but I've seen enough weak bees over the fast few years, > that I've decided that bees that are strong enough to swarm are just exactly > what I want. > > Each hive that looks good, but has no swarm cells we pull all but two > frames of sealed brood from the brood chamber and raise it above the > excluder, making sure the queen is below. I like to see them, but this year, > this usually means shaking the bees off the brood, and they'll have to walk > up through the excluder. > > We give the queen some nice empty comb in the center of the brood nest to > lay in. This effectively stops swarming for a while, and over the first > (deep) super with brood, we place a couple shallows. > > Those that have swarm cells are busted up for spits. Once they have the > idea of swarming, it is almost impossible to stop them. Some hobbyists with > lots of time cut out the cells, but you are apt to miss just one, and it's > likely to be a little tiny one that makes a lousy queen. > > So the only practical way to save our livestock from running off into the > woods is to help them do what they wanted to do - reproduce. > > We're just about out of nuc boxes, and are running out of comb, so we are > trying an old trick that might be useful to others as well. We have A LOT of > old junk deeps (with corners rotted off, etc.) We bust up the swarmy bees > into 3-5 nucs. Each nuc is placed along one side of a deep box (2-4 frames). > We don't look for queens once cells have formed, just making sure each nuc > has at least one cell. Frames with cells are handled gently, and never > turned upside down, as the queens can be damaged if their wings are in > formation at the time. > We've found eight so far that have been occupied by happy swarms, and we've > caught two (not from our bees). I say set the deadouts up, because they > will attract swarms much better if they are higher, though sometimes they > will even come into low hives too. > > Right now we are on fast forward. We've been splitting the bees that are > swarmy, and so far, have been mostly ahead of them, which gives us lots of > cells. I used to avoid using swarm cells, reasoning that that encourages the > swarmy trait in bees, but I've seen enough weak bees over the fast few years, > that I've decided that bees that are strong enough to swarm are just exactly > what I want. > > Each hive that looks good, but has no swarm cells we pull all but two > frames of sealed brood from the brood chamber and raise it above the > excluder, making sure the queen is below. I like to see them, but this year, > this usually means shaking the bees off the brood, and they'll have to walk > up through the excluder. > > We give the queen some nice empty comb in the center of the brood nest to > lay in. This effectively stops swarming for a while, and over the first > (deep) super with brood, we place a couple shallows. > > Those that have swarm cells are busted up for spits. Once they have the > idea of swarming, it is almost impossible to stop them. Some hobbyists with > lots of time cut out the cells, but you are apt to miss just one, and it's > likely to be a little tiny one that makes a lousy queen. > > So the only practical way to save our livestock from running off into the > woods is to help them do what they wanted to do - reproduce. > > We're just about out of nuc boxes, and are running out of comb, so we are > trying an old trick that might be useful to others as well. We have A LOT of > old junk deeps (with corners rotted off, etc.) We bust up the swarmy bees > into 3-5 nucs. Each nuc is placed along one side of a deep box (2-4 frames). > We don't look for queens once cells have formed, just making sure each nuc > has at least one cell. Frames with cells are handled gently, and never > turned upside down, as the queens can be damaged if their wings are in > formation at the time. > We've found eight so far that have been occupied by happy swarms, and we've > caught two (not from our bees). I say set the deadouts up, because they > will attract swarms much better if they are higher, though sometimes they > will even come into low hives too. > > Right now we are on fast forward. We've been splitting the bees that are > swarmy, and so far, have been mostly ahead of them, which gives us lots of > cells. I used to avoid using swarm cells, reasoning that that encourages the > swarmy trait in bees, but I've seen enough weak bees over the fast few years, > that I've decided that bees that are strong enough to swarm are just exactly > what I want. > > Each hive that looks good, but has no swarm cells we pull all but two > frames of sealed brood from the brood chamber and raise it above the > excluder, making sure the queen is below. I like to see them, but this year, > this usually means shaking the bees off the brood, and they'll have to walk > up through the excluder. > > We give the queen some nice empty comb in the center of the brood nest to > lay in. This effectively stops swarming for a while, and over the first > (deep) super with brood, we place a couple shallows. > > Those that have swarm cells are busted up for spits. Once they have the > idea of swarming, it is almost impossible to stop them. Some hobbyists with > lots of time cut out the cells, but you are apt to miss just one, and it's > likely to be a little tiny one that makes a lousy queen. > > So the only practical way to save our livestock from running off into the > woods is to help them do what they wanted to do - reproduce. > > We're just about out of nuc boxes, and are running out of comb, so we are > trying an old trick that might be useful to others as well. We have A LOT of > old junk deeps (with corners rotted off, etc.) We bust up the swarmy bees > into 3-5 nucs. Each nuc is placed along one side of a deep box (2-4 frames). > We don't look for queens once cells have formed, just making sure each nuc > has at least one cell. Frames with cells are handled gently, and never > turned upside down, as the queens can be damaged if their wings are in > formation at the time. > We've found eight so far that have been occupied by happy swarms, and we've > caught two (not from our bees). I say set the deadouts up, because they > will attract swarms much better if they are higher, though sometimes they > will even come into low hives too. > > Right now we are on fast forward. We've been splitting the bees that are > swarmy, and so far, have been mostly ahead of them, which gives us lots of > cells. I used to avoid using swarm cells, reasoning that that encourages the > swarmy trait in bees, but I've seen enough weak bees over the fast few years, > that I've decided that bees that are strong enough to swarm are just exactly > what I want. > > Each hive that looks good, but has no swarm cells we pull all but two > frames of sealed brood from the brood chamber and raise it above the > excluder, making sure the queen is below. I like to see them, but this year, > this usually means shaking the bees off the brood, and they'll have to walk > up through the excluder. > > We give the queen some nice empty comb in the center of the brood nest to > lay in. This effectively stops swarming for a while, and over the first > (deep) super with brood, we place a couple shallows. > > Those that have swarm cells are busted up for spits. Once they have the > idea of swarming, it is almost impossible to stop them. Some hobbyists with > lots of time cut out the cells, but you are apt to miss just one, and it's > likely to be a little tiny one that makes a lousy queen. > > So the only practical way to save our livestock from running off into the > woods is to help them do what they wanted to do - reproduce. > > We're just about out of nuc boxes, and are running out of comb, so we are > trying an old trick that might be useful to others as well. We have A LOT of > old junk deeps (with corners rotted off, etc.) We bust up the swarmy bees > into 3-5 nucs. Each nuc is placed along one side of a deep box (2-4 frames). > We don't look for queens once cells have formed, just making sure each nuc > has at least one cell. Frames with cells are handled gently, and never > turned upside down, as the queens can be damaged if their wings are in > formation at the time. > We've found eight so far that have been occupied by happy swarms, and we've > caught two (not from our bees). I say set the deadouts up, because they > will attract swarms much better if they are higher, though sometimes they > will even come into low hives too. > > Right now we are on fast forward. We've been splitting the bees that are > swarmy, and so far, have been mostly ahead of them, which gives us lots of > cells. I used to avoid using swarm cells, reasoning that that encourages the > swarmy trait in bees, but I've seen enough weak bees over the fast few years, > that I've decided that bees that are strong enough to swarm are just exactly > what I want. > > Each hive that looks good, but has no swarm cells we pull all but two > frames of sealed brood from the brood chamber and raise it above the > excluder, making sure the queen is below. I like to see them, but this year, > this usually means shaking the bees off the brood, and they'll have to walk > up through the excluder. > > We give the queen some nice empty comb in the center of the brood nest to > lay in. This effectively stops swarming for a while, and over the first > (deep) super with brood, we place a couple shallows. > > Those that have swarm cells are busted up for spits. Once they have the > idea of swarming, it is almost impossible to stop them. Some hobbyists with > lots of time cut out the cells, but you are apt to miss just one, and it's > likely to be a little tiny one that makes a lousy queen. > > So the only practical way to save our livestock from running off into the > woods is to help them do what they wanted to do - reproduce. > > We're just about out of nuc boxes, and are running out of comb, so we are > trying an old trick that might be useful to others as well. We have A LOT of > old junk deeps (with corners rotted off, etc.) We bust up the swarmy bees > into 3-5 nucs. Each nuc is placed along one side of a deep box (2-4 frames). > We don't look for queens once cells have formed, just making sure each nuc > has at least one cell. Frames with cells are handled gently, and never > turned upside down, as the queens can be damaged if their wings are in > formation at the time. Nice to hear of your adventures and thanks for indicating the area you are in. I appeal to everyone to indicate their location - it makes for much more interesting reading. Here in northern Alberta my bees are still wrapped up. I was going to start unwrapping next week (early for me) but the forecast calls for below freezing at night so I may wait awhile yet. Eric