PDA

View Full Version : Need some advice



hankdog1
06-02-2008, 08:03 PM
I bought 3 swarms off a lady last month. 1 has no queen and is small never had one since there is no broad. the next largest one has one queen cell and it looks like she will emerge any day now and i didn't find a queen in it eigther i'm guessing supersedure is going on there. But the biggest and strongest swarm has a queen saw her no doubt about it but it is also full of a dozen or more queen cells. Anybody have any advice as to what i might could do to ensure the survival of all 3 and keep the strongest one from swarming again?

beehoppers
06-02-2008, 08:19 PM
Watch out for laying workers in the smallest one.
I'd move a frame with a queen cell and some brood on it to each hive. The brood should keep the workers from laying and a hatching out queen can take over if the supercedure doesn't work out. Removing brood and replacing with foundation should calm the swarm urge in your big hive. Be ready to combine so that you might split next year.

iddee
06-02-2008, 08:21 PM
Place a frame or two with queen cells from hive 3 to hive one. Let the cells emerge there. Place empty cells from hive 1 into hive 3 to weaken it enough to discourage swarming.

hankdog1
06-02-2008, 08:30 PM
I never in my life thought a swarm might split off again this early. Everybody i taked to said ohhh you'll have at least a year or two before they swarm again. I'm going to try and work on them in the morning that was my thinking on it just figured i'd get some imput on it. My beek buddy is comming over to lend a helping hand tomorrow morning. Starting to make me wonder if i shouldn't have just went with package bees instead of having all this mess to try and correct.