i have one hive that is just a single body with 3 frames and no queen (she is due around the 20th) in it that i took from my one hive that was making swarm cells. i now have another hive that is looking like it is going to burst too. can i take 3 frames from that hive and add them to the hive that has only 3 frames and no queen?
is there another way to keep the hive that is about to swarm from swarming? it seems like the only thing that you can really do is to take out frames.
mixing frames
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Kurt Bower
- Guard bee
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Once a hive has started to make swarm cells, it will continue in it's pursuit of swarming until acheived. Taking frames from one hive to another will not eliminate swarming in of itself. Moving frames or making a split before swarm cells are built will greatly reduce the likelihood of a swarm.
You can also perform a shook swarm onto new equipment to eliminate swarming. Sometimes this requires confining the queen to make sure she does not abscond.
There is no one answer and others will probably share ways to discourage or reduce swarming. Remember, swarming is a natural process for a healthy colony of bees. Swarming can reduce disease and mite loads but most often is undesireable if you want to produce a honey crop.
Did you order a queen to be shipped in? I would have thougt you could have found one locally much more quickly.
regards,
Kurt
You can also perform a shook swarm onto new equipment to eliminate swarming. Sometimes this requires confining the queen to make sure she does not abscond.
There is no one answer and others will probably share ways to discourage or reduce swarming. Remember, swarming is a natural process for a healthy colony of bees. Swarming can reduce disease and mite loads but most often is undesireable if you want to produce a honey crop.
Did you order a queen to be shipped in? I would have thougt you could have found one locally much more quickly.
regards,
Kurt