CHESHIRE BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION

Apes curamus et nos curant (We look after bees and they look after us)
Founded 1899
Registered Charity No. 227494
We've been buzzing over 100 years 1899-2016

Artificial Swarming to make increase

A guide applicable when the queen cannot be found

Artificial swarming methods are usually adopted to reduce natural swarming or to allow for re-queening of colonies. In the preceding edition of Cheshire Beekeeper I advocated artificial swarming to make increase. The rationale was to anticipate, and safeguard against, losses of colonies, whether in summer or winter, particularly for the beekeeper (I am thinking of a beginner) who has only one or two colonies.

As is frequently remarked, even experienced beekeepers sometimes have difficulty in locating the queen as part of the usual procedure. It follows that novices may find the task beyond them, in which case the following method may prove invaluable.

Prepare an empty hive, and have 11 frames of good comb or foundation also to hand. Ideally, select a strong colony with good temperament which has two part-filled supers in mid-May. Remove the supers and go through the brood-box to split the frames 6-5.

Examine each comb for the queen, but do not spend a long time doing so. However, it is vital to ensure that both units have eggs.

If the queen was seen, all well and good�move her unit onto a fresh stand. If not, no matter, she has to be somewhere! You may infer which unit contains the queen by listening to the sound of each after 15-20 minutes, sometimes less. The queen-right half will be murmuring, the other emitting the characteristic �roar�. If you cannot detect this difference, move either unit to a fresh stand. The choice is not critical.

Make both units up to 11 frames with the comb/foundation. Foundation allows for renewal of combs in accordance with good general practice.

If both colonies are to remain on the same site, and the queen�s whereabouts are known, having put her unit on a fresh stand, move an original super with its bees above to provide additional stores. Shake bees from the other super into this moved colony.

Put the cleared super back on the original hive. Bees returning from the moved hive will boost numbers. Consider whether to put on a second super on both units, perhaps over newspaper.

If the second hive is to be taken to another location (2 miles away) or the queen�s whereabouts are unknown, just give one super plus bees to each colony without shaking. This ensures a roughly equal split. Again, consider whether to add another super to each colony.

By splitting the original colony �down the middle� in this way, you will have

  • made increase

  • Introduced new combs

  • Checked the swarming impulse in one if not both colonies.

    • Allow a month for re-queening and mating to take place, and for the new queen to come into lay. You need only check whether both units have enough room. That is probable if second supers were added but if a sustained flow occurs, it would be prudent to check. Conversely, ensure they have enough stores. Feed if necessary.

    If the exercise is successful, break out the bubbly! If not, either re-unite the colonies or have another go by transferring a frame of eggs to the queen-less colony to start afresh, but remember it is now mid-June.

    You will not find the above in the textbooks, but the method works subject to the normal vicissitudes of beekeeping.

    By splitting a vigorous colony in this way, the yield overall may be less than would otherwise have ben the case. Whether or not to act depends on your priorities, but a lost colony has greater significance than reduced yield.

    Malcolm Brierley

    © 2015 Cheshire Beekeepers' Association