Another First Attempt at Artificial Swarm

We have just done our artificial swarm and what an experience!!! Last friday we did a hive inspection and found several queen cups, two of which were already sealed and at least one with a larvae visible in it. We also found our Queen looking very slim compared to normal. PANICK!!!!! After a sleepless night and phoning round for advice we did the artificial swarm on Saturday mid-day. A brand new hive filled with undrawn new frames (all we have being newbies) was set alongside the original hive. Three of the original brood frames containing brood, food, pollen, bees and the queen were put in the new hive, ensuring that the frames with the queen cups were left in the queenless old hive. The position of the new hive and old hive was then swapped round. An entrance feeder containing 50:50 ambrosia / water was placed at the door of the new hive to ensure they didnt run short of food (because this hive has nothing in it except the three old brood frames - everything else is undrawn new foundation). But within a few hours our bees in the new hive were robbing the living daylights out of the queenless hive despite having a plentiful supply of food right at their own door. Lots of angry bees about and after a couple of days we decided it wasnt looking good for the queenless colony. So we waited until late evening, closed the queenless colony up and moved it as far away as we could (about 400metres). After 24 hours we opened the door back up but only about 2cms wide to make it easier to defend. And although this hive has plenty stores in it (one full honey super above the brood box), we put a feeder in under the lid with the 50:50 ambrosia water mix for good measure. I think this has done the trick but now we can only wait and see. The anger levels have certainly gone down....its now safe to walk past both hives without a bee suit on!! At the new hive the bees are taking the food from the entrance feeder and plenty of pollen is being taken in too. The queenless hive shows less activity but this is as expected since most of the foraging bees would have gone with the queen. Tonight a bee kicked a dead larvae outside the door of the queenless colony. Could this mean that the first queen has now hatched and started killing off the other queen cells or is this wishful thinking??!! We will have to wait and see. But it will be really nice if we end up with two colonies after this because its scary stuff being a beginner with just one colony......we cant afford to make any mistakes. Any advice welcome!!

I have not had experience of robbing after an A/S - usually the flying bees simply return to the old site with the queen and that's it. I have never used an entrance feeder - the concern being about robbing as other bees and wasps have access to it. It seems like you have sorted out your problem. With the queenless hive in my view you need now to check for queencells and leave just one. (Hopefully the best one where you marked the top of the frame!). Now this hive is 400 metres away, is this where you intend to keep it long term?

Usually the queen on the original site with the flying bees will get a good honey crop as they will have little brood to rear for a while so the supers are left on the old site. You need to check the queen's colony too for queencells as the swarming instinct can still be there. I have had a swarm 6 days after an A/S with a newly sealed queencell on the single frame with just sufficient bees to cover that frame of brood, nothing else left, it has bees said that the lack of laying space with just drawn foundation can contribute to a swarming tendancy. (Fortunately I caught my swarm).

Thanks for the advice - greatly appreciated. I will keep a careful eye on both colonies. Hopefully no more plans to swarm for a while. I intend to eventually move the colonies back together as its not ideal having them 400m apart (one is way out in the middle of nowhere with no shelter so Id like to move it back - but only once the colony gets a queen and becomes strong). Was using an entrance feeder simply because my other feeder doesnt seem to work with the ambrosia/water mix - it just pours out. Must get an order into Thornes for more feeders and equipment!!

Hi qB

The dead larva outside the colony may have been a drone. They do have a habit of disposing of their menfolk (and younger males) once times get tough, and losing all of your flying bees means times get tough.

Generally about three feet is the recommended distance to move a hive each day to avoid disorientating a lot of bees that have become fliers. So, a 400m move would take you until July 2011! You might get away with it in one go if you pick a time when bad weather is expected for a few days, or you engineer a major disturbance around the entrance for a while, but I've never tried that myself. Can you wait until winter to move them back?

all the best

Gavin