Hi Devoted and Abbused Readers,
 
I am looking for criticism on this matter and my philosophy for an
attempt to inhibit or greatly reduce the effects of swarming.
        I have tried a few methods of swarm control such as cutting cells
[not worth the effort IMHO] and providing extra space which works
sometime, and removing the queen which works about equally as well.
        After much reading and thought, or as much as I can give it, I
wonder what is of oversight in the following proceedure?
 
Given: Colony has queen cells which appear to be in preperation for
swarming, doesn't always happen, only most of the time.
        1.Remove all brood chambers from bottom board.
 
        2. Place new brood box on bottom board w/ foundation or drawn
comb.
 
        3. Find the queen however it has to be done.
 
        4. Place Queen in new brood super, mabe w/ 1 frameof eggs and
unsealed brood?
 
        5. Place 'Q'excluder on super
 
        6. Add empty honey super, w/ foundation or frames?
 
        7. Place a double screen frame or some type of devider board with
an entranc access on top of these               two.
 
        8. Reassemble queenless colony.
 
        9. When new queen is established recombine the two units and may
the best queen win.
 
        With only field bees in with the queen there is nothing to swarm
here and this colony will be on the     decline until new bees start
to come along. In the meantime there will be little brood to feed so most
        nectar will be stored. Will wax be drawn with field bees, sure it
may not be as robust as young bees do   but swarming bees (mostly
foragers) do a pretty good job.
 
        When new queen(s) above hatch out there will only be a small
force of field bees to swarm if they should     so choose. Any swarm
will certainly be smaller than with the combined forargers.
                Manipulations to divert swarming tendancies are certianly
time consuming and IMO are for  not in how many instances? Do we
know that the manipulations were the preventive or that swarming
        was not going to occur anyway?
 
                Waiting with bated breath.
 
Alden Marshalldivert
B-Line Apiaries
Hudson, NH 03051
[log in to unmask]
tel. 603-883-6764
 
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