[Plannerwgp]

I have a couple of hives with numerous swarm cells. Would it work if I eliminated the existing queen, eliminate all queen cells and add new queen? I meant NEW queen not EU.

 

[Nelsonhoneyfarms]

To give yourself some insurance, I’d probably just simulate a swarm by moving the existing queen with a frame or two of bees into a mini nuc. Then smash all queen cells in the hive and install a new mated queen.

That way you still have a queen if things go wrong with the new one. Down the road, you can always reintroduce the split bees to the parent hive if you want to.

Ryan

 

[beemandan]

My advice is to remove the old queen using whatever method you choose. A two or three frame split or a pinch. Remove any swarm cells. Wait 7 days and cut out any emergency cells. Now the colony is hopelessly queenless and will be more likely to accept a new queen.

 

[RTBBEE]

Beemandan way is the way I have done it when we want no more hives. If we can use or sell splits we do a 5 frame nuc using the old queen. We allow the hive to re-queen itself an find it has no negative impact on honey production. Be sure to replace the original queen in the split in August or let the buyer know the nuc has an aged queen.

 

[Plannerwgp]

I have some new queens coming in in about 3 days. Hopefully my old eyes can find the queen if she has not already left. As of yesterday there were at least 10 swarm cells at the bottom of one frame. The hive is loaded with many frames of brood. Excellent laying pattern.

 

[Oldtimer]

I have a couple of hives with numerous swarm cells. Would it work if I eliminated the existing queen, eliminate all queen cells and add new queen? I meant NEW queen not EU.

No it won't work. The queen does not make the decision to swarm, the bees do.

I learned this when i was a queen breeder and would get complaints from people who had found their hive about to swarm, so bought a queen from me, killed their queen, put my one in, only to have the hive swarm as soon as the new queen was released, taking her with them. I would then be accused of selling them an old or faulty queen. :scratch:.

If nothing is changed in the hive other than kill the queen cells and change the queen, the bees are still in a swarmy state and will simply get new queen cells started and then swarm.

To prevent the hive swarming you will need to do any of the other suggestions people have made, or, just do normal swarm prevention manipulations.

BTW, what is an EU?

 

[Plannerwgp]

I meant New not EU. SLIPPED WHILE TYPING. SORRY

No it won't work. The queen does not make the decision to swarm, the bees do.

I learned this when i was a queen breeder and would get complaints from people who had found their hive about to swarm, so bought a queen from me, killed their queen, put my one in, only to have the hive swarm as soon as the new queen was released, taking her with them. I would then be accused of selling them an old or faulty queen. :scratch:.

If nothing is changed in the hive other than kill the queen cells and change the queen, the bees are still in a swarmy state and will simply get new queen cells started and then swarm.

To prevent the hive swarming you will need to do any of the other suggestions people have made, or, just do normal swarm prevention manipulations.

BTW, what is an EU?

 

[coalsmok]

Don’t destroy queens or queen cells. Put the old queen in a nuc box and let the mother hive raise you a new queen. It will be a new well fed queen that was given the best treatment a larva could get to make it a queen.
I don’t understand the fixation with running out to buy a queen every time a hive has a issue with a queen. I was at a club meet tonight and heard the same thing repeated several times. I told them all I threw away better queens than they bought because I just didn’t have the resources to get them mated.
Anyone can let their bees raise a queen as long as they have larva in the hive and drones are flying. You buy queens for new genetics or if you have nothing to get a new queen started with.

 

[Plannerwgp]

Today I went to my bee yard where I keep aboit 10 hives. I inspected them all and determined about 5 had swarmed and still had swarm cells. I do not have the resources or time to try and reverse course so I will let nature take its course. I was taken back by the excellent brrod patterns but the bees must have their own way of determining when to move on. I checked with the person from whom I purchased theses hives(NUCS) and his other customers and others in his area of Illinois are having the same problem. To make my day I also found 1 worker lkaying hive. I will be adding some new queens in other hives. Thi sis the first time in 10 years that I have had soi many swarms. I usually have about 10% but this years it is 40-50%.