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Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology

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Subject:
From:
Keith Malone <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Informed Discussion of Beekeeping Issues and Bee Biology <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Mon, 22 Sep 2003 16:26:41 -0800
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Hi Kathy & All,

> Can you tell me why a swarm would swarm a second time?
>

If a colony finds something undesirable about their new home they can
abscond. A cavity to small or big, one with diseased combs, or possibly one
with a comb size not to their liking will prompt a colony to swarm. I am
sure there are other reasons and I am sure that others will comment on them.

Below is a method to keep a colony from absconding and remaining in the
brood box you put them in. This method will work as long as the queen is not
small enough to slip through a queen excluder. If it does slip through the
excluder it may be a naturally small queen from a feral colony that came off
combs of small cells or from a beekeepers small cell hive. It may just
simply mean that the queen is small enough to slip through the excluder. At
any rate I would use the method below to keep a colony from absconding.

When a beekeeper is converting to 4.9mm small cell combs the beekeeper puts
a queen excluder on the bottom board before placing the brood box of
foundation on the bottom board. Leave no exit for the bees except for
through the bottom, close off all other entrances/exits. This is to keep the
colony from absconding, it will include the queen with the brood box instead
of excluding her from honey supers. When the queen has started laying and
there are brood in all stages the queen excluder can be taken off.
   . ..
c(((([
Keith Malone
Chugiak, Alaska USA
Caucasian Bee Keeper
http://takeoff.to/alaskahoney

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