> A commersial beekeepers organization here in Sweden which I belong to is > looking into the possibility to find a management system that combines > requeening with swarm prevention. We are presently trying to find ways to > introduce cells/virgins into a hive without having to remove the old queen > first. Can't say we > got so far yet, and I'm looking forward to exchanging information here. Splits are an easy way to introduce cells or queens compared to large colonies. The reduced populations accept queens better, and if you can manage to have only young bees in the split, it will accept queens better, although it may not do as well in the long run unless recombined. There are numbers of ways of doing the splits, but the easiest - and thence my favourite follows: If the timing and the season is right, here in Alberta, we can reverse two storey colonies in late April, then split them in *half* in the first week or two of May. Ripe cells or queens - if available cheaply (we have been selling cells for $2 CAD each) - can be introduced then into each box. Cells are much easier because they can just be popped into each half of the split without searching for a queen. If a protector is used, then the ripe cell can be added immediately at the time of splitting. Success is generally as good - or better- than using mated queens. 50% of the cells *may* be wasted, but then maybe not, because if one in ten of the cells that is put blindly into a queenright half emerges, gets mated and either lays alongside the old queen or replaces her, then that will pay off well in increased production and forstalled hive failure. And the savings in labour and simplification of management far more than offset that small loss. At $2 each, the cost compares to 12 minutes of work for someone being paid $10 per hour. To introduce mated queens in 12 minutes each, considering preparation time, travel time, instruction, finding queens, making errors, etc is difficult. (I'm sure I'll get some flack on this, but I'll stand by it). Not everyone can handle cells sucessfully though, and a good source of cells must be available. (I am presently looking for a supplier of 1000 to 1500 cells in May 1996. Must be in Canada and must be within an hour or two of a major airport in Canada and able to supply 300 to 500 quality cells at a time). Mated queen success is generally very possible, but with much more work. The list has agreed some time back that the nuc method described by another writer here recently is one of the best to ensure success. Wire push in cages have good records too. Queens in cages are much more hardy than cells, and the timing is not nearly as critical, because they can be banked on a rainy day. I have had limited luck with introducing mated queens into strong colonies in the spring and although I know methods of doing so, I prefer to avoid the many manipulations and the extra equipment requirements. Our bees are as much as 60 miles away and the weather is often unco-operative, resulting in problems following a multi-step procedure. Sometimes success with mated queens runs 95%, another time success can be 60%, so the cost of introducing a mated queen *can* run as high as $25 CAD when all things are considered. Cells typically run around 80% success and the failures can be quickly identified and used to strengthen weaker splits in a routine operation on a subsequent round. We like the cell method, and will be writing more on this shortly. Regards Allen W. Allen Dick, Beekeeper VE6CFK RR#1, Swalwell, Alberta Canada T0M 1Y0 Internet:[log in to unmask] Honey. Bees, Art, & Futures <http://www.cuug.ab.ca:8001/~dicka>