My experience is that bees somehow know if their queen is damaged. Supercedure rates are much higher among clipped queens (my experience)
Also, I have read that it will not prevent them swarming, they will just fall out of the entrance and be found dead on the ground later.
I might consider clipping the queen if I could see them from my living room window and rescue the fallen queen, but all my hives are in remote places, so I don't bother to clip them.
I do mark them however. Marking doesn't seem to make any difference. I live in a potential African area, so I need to know if the queen has been ousted.
Also, I have read that it will not prevent them swarming, they will just fall out of the entrance and be found dead on the ground later.
I might consider clipping the queen if I could see them from my living room window and rescue the fallen queen, but all my hives are in remote places, so I don't bother to clip them.
I do mark them however. Marking doesn't seem to make any difference. I live in a potential African area, so I need to know if the queen has been ousted.
