In a message dated 4/18/99 8:53:17 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:

> Raising queens from swarm cells has one big drawback. Like begetts like.
>  I know a beekeeper in the Champlain valley who raised many queens from
>  swarm cells. Served him well, because every year he had more and more
>  colonies with cells to use. Figures doesn't it? Raise queens from
>  colonies that swarm, and you get colonies that swarm.

    I'm pretty skeptical of that last statement. I've been doing this
occasionally for many years, and as a deliberate choice for four years. I
think swarminess is more related to the age of the queen, the congestion of
the hives, and the weather conditions.

    Bees that are strong enough to swarm (under the right conditions) are the
ones I want. I sure don't want weak bees.

    Last year was what I call a swarmy season, where 80% of the hives in the
yard were trying to go up about the same time. (Maybe I'd have been more
inclined to agree with you, then.)  This year the bees are quite laid back
and I'm having trouble finding cells at times. They seem to be happily
filling supers instead. About 15% of them have shown any serious inclination
to swarm. A few colonies built cells early, and I expected them to go, but
they tore them back down, or superceded instead. I've only had two colonies
so far that actually succeeded in going up. (I hate working a colony a few
days after a swarm. You've got nothing to work with, only a bunch of mean
adult bees. I don't try to do anything else with them, just give them a frame
or two of brood, including some eggs, just in case the queen doesn't get
mated.)

    If I've been breeding in favor of swarmy bees, they'd have all been in
the trees by now.
Actually I really like what I've got now. There's no question in my mind that
they are better bees than they were ten years ago, or at least better adapted
to our conditions and my management.

[log in to unmask]     Dave Green  Hemingway, SC  USA
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