[mac]

O.K. so maybe it’s just me but after reading all 12 pages of this post I have not read a single thing from Walt W. that comes any ware near what I would call arrogant.
I have only one question. As a novice beekeeper I would like my hives to produce swarm cells in the spring so I can make splits using those swarm cells. I have CB the last 2 years and have not had swarm cells or swarms in the spring (swarmed late summer my loss) Is there a sure fire way to make my bees make swarm cells this spring Any one?????? Thanks.

 

[Grant]

If want to entice your bees to swarm (or at least build swarm cells) I would feed 1:1 syrup and don't reverse your brood boxes or checkerboard your frames. They'll do what comes naturally and you'll get what you're looking for.

Or do what a lot of guys do: nothing. The bees really don't need any particular stimulus in order to "get them" to build swarm cells. They'll do it if the hives are healthy and full of bees.

Grant
Jackson, MO

 

[RayMarler]

Early in the spring at the start of the first honey flows, squeeze them down into a single deep box, an 8 framer if you have one, put the lid on and check every 10 days. If you get any kind of flows at all and if your queen and bees are healthy, you should get plenty of swarm cells. I think your problem has been too much area for a broodnest and checkerboarding, those two things help reduce swarming tendencies. Keep them crowded in single deep during flows and they should setup swarming.

 

[Michael Bush]

If that was my intent, I'd take a strong hive, keep adding boxes to it until it's really booming and there are plenty of drones flying, then do a cut down. In other words, take all of the open brood (of course a little will be needed for the swarm cells) and shake off the bees and give that brood to other hives. and reduce the brood nest to one box of capped brood and the queen. Then remove all the supers, shaking out all of those bees, so that the hive is now overcrowded to the point that the bees don't all fit in the hive. And, while you're at it, both to further induce the swarm and to make sure the queen cells are well fed, feed syrup. Come back in a week and look for queen cells, I'm betting you'll find plenty.

 

[mac]

Thanks y'all. I now have a plan.