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Possible Swarm

1K views 4 replies 3 participants last post by  Michael Bush 
#1 ·
Guys, I'm a newbie here. I was in my hive last Friday and there was a lot of comb on the bottom of a few frames. I don't think it was a queen cell, but I tried to cut some of it out and was overwhelmed by the mess it was making. I decided to put everything back in and leave it till my next inspection, which I was going to do yesterday. WE have had rain for 3 days and the girls have been cooped up. They are drinking about a quart of syrup a day. I am concerned that if there was a queen cell and they are getting ready to swarm, and the rain has delayed that, if I get rid of the queen cells, would it also delay the swarming or stop it altogether? If they do swarm, is it usually very far from the original hive? I was going to put my 2nd hive body on this week as they had drawn out almost 7 frames full of brood. There was still 2 frames with nothing on either side and one frame with nothing on one side and the other side contained a few uncapped cells in the middle with syrup in them. Am I just being over anxious and should I just install the 2nd hive body when this storm is over. ITs been a Nor'easter that started on Monday night and should be over today.

Any help or comments is greatly appreciated. Thank you all.
 
#2 ·
>if I get rid of the queen cells, would it also delay the swarming or stop it altogether?

It may delay it. It probably won't stop it. It may also leave them queenless.

>If they do swarm, is it usually very far from the original hive?

Usually at least 300 yards or so, sometimes several miles. They usually group somewhere close and then leave for the wild blue yonder. Once they leave for the wild blue yonder you'll probably never see them again.

>I was going to put my 2nd hive body on this week as they had drawn out almost 7 frames full of brood. There was still 2 frames with nothing on either side and one frame with nothing on one side and the other side contained a few uncapped cells in the middle with syrup in them. Am I just being over anxious and should I just install the 2nd hive body when this storm is over.

So this is a package that is in one box that's not full yet? I've never seen a package swarm the first year. I think you'd have to really crowd them to get them to.
 
#3 ·
Yes this is a first year package. I hived it on April 14th, the queen was released on the 18th and started laying immediately. Should I remove the comb that is built on the bottom of the frame if it does not have a queen cell on it? I certainly don't need the extra drones. I have a hard time killing living creatures, but if it for the better of the hive then I will do it.
 
#4 ·
before cutting of queen cells make sure she has eggs still, thats a good indication that the old girl is still at home. if virgins have hatched and you find no eggs, then destroy all but 2 of the other cells and the old queen if you can find her(she'll be smaller at this point so she can fly with the swarm). they may still swarm with a virgin and if you cut all the cells off and kill the old queen and the virgin in the hive leaves with a swarm , then that hive will die if not given a new queen.

keep your hives stocked with young queens by requeen ever year and you should have no problem with swarming.
 
#5 ·
>Should I remove the comb that is built on the bottom of the frame if it does not have a queen cell on it?

I don't.

>I certainly don't need the extra drones.

But the bees do. If you remove them they will raise more. If you leave them that's less drones they will have to raise.

>I have a hard time killing living creatures, but if it for the better of the hive then I will do it.

But it won't give you a better hive. The bees will simply raise more drones somewhere and spend more resources doing it.
 
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