Artificial swarm (Ian Craig)

[Mellifera Crofter]

In Nellie's Soft Set Honey thread EmsE referred to Ian Craig's article which I started to read, but got stuck with his description of his artificial swarm method. Can somebody please help me to understand it?

I followed everything until the bottom of page 11 (the paragraph starting 'After twenty four hours ...'). I understand the bit where he said the open crown board is replaced with a swarm board, with the entrance open to the front. He then says, "Five days later the top front upper entrance is closed, the top front lower entrance opened and the top back upper entrance opened."

I'm a bit confused by all these top entrances. I understand the 'top front upper' and 'top back upper' (they belong to the swarm board - I think) but where is the 'top front lower entrance'? Or should the word 'top' not be there?

Can I interpret this whole procedure as: once you've replaced the open crown board with a swarm board, you open the swarm board's front entrance. (Do we then close the queen's brood-box entrance below so that all the bees use the swarm board entrance? He does not say that, and I don't quite understand.) Then, five days later, we close the swarm board's front entrance; open the swarm board's back entrance; and open the 'top front lower entrance'. Does he mean opening the queen's brood-box entrance so that all the new bees emerging at the top has a new entrance to which they'll return, while all the old flying bees will continue to use the front entrance (the queen's brood-box entrance)?

Sorry about the long-winded query. I'm confused about the opening and closing of the brood-box entrance and the word 'top' everywhere - but am I on the right track?

Kitta

[Neils]

There are in effect two entrance hatches on each side. One opens above the board, the other below it.

After a week or so you close the entrance above the board and open the entrance below. All the flying bees from the top section now come back and instead of entering above the board, they now go in below instead regardless of which entrance above the board is currently open as they're flying to where they remember the entrance to be rather than where it currently is.

So you're continually bleeding off the flying bees from the box above the board into the one below it. After another week you can repeat the process.

The bees in the lower box continue to use the standard entrance.

What he's referring to is basically a Snelgrove board (or variation thereof).

Hope that makes sense.

[Jimbo]

There are 3 entrances in Ian's boards. There are 2 at the front and 1 at the back. The idea is to bleed off flying bees to the bottom brood box with the original queen. When you close the upper front entrance you open the lower front entrance. A week later you open the upper back entrance to allow the new queen to mate and close the lower front entrance. You end up with two hives on top of each other with an entrance on each brood box facing opposite sides

[EmsE]

This was the method we were taught in our local beginners class, with the equipment used to demonstrate the process, making it much clearer. It's less work than moving one hive from one side to the other of the original colony and you don't need as much space or equipment either.

[susbees]

In Nellie's Soft Set Honey thread EmsE referred to Ian Craig's article which I started to read, but got stuck with his description of his artificial swarm method.

I got stuck at his solid floor, no insulation and matchsticks part way through "January"

[EmsE]

Hi susbees, the insulation is still in place in January (it is put in place in November). The matchsticks are used for ventilation purposes because of the solid floors but are removed in mid feb to help conserve the heat to help with brood rearing.

[Mellifera Crofter]

There are in effect two entrance hatches on each side. One opens above the board, the other below it.

... What he's referring to is basically a Snelgrove board (or variation thereof).

There are 3 entrances in Ian's boards. There are 2 at the front and 1 at the back. ... You end up with two hives on top of each other with an entrance on each brood box facing opposite sides

...It's less work than moving one hive from one side to the other of the original colony and you don't need as much space or equipment either.

Thanks Nellie, Jimbo and EmsE - I've seen the light. I think I'll give it a try this summer. I tried a Horsley board last summer, but a deer pushed the hive over (I think that's what happened) and caused mayhem. I'll now have a good think as to when to use what method. Snelgrove, Horsley, or whatever else.

Kitta

[gavin]

Demaree!

Graeme Sharpe described his use of the Demaree on Monday in Dundee (amongst many other things) and handed out a leaflet on it. Simple, effective, can easily be modified to take off a nuc or two, can introduce a frame of eggs to raise queens from a different stock. It is still a method which builds a tower and needs at least some lifting off to inspect the bottom box.

[susbees]

Hi susbees, the insulation is still in place in January (it is put in place in November). The matchsticks are used for ventilation purposes because of the solid floors but are removed in mid feb to help conserve the heat to help with brood rearing.

Ah, ok, found the insulation: but also found that he doesn't like OMF as he considers that the wind sweeps in...simple solution being to put a spare super under the floor for winter (which I'm pretty sure I got off a Scottish leaflet at some point). I'm grateful for every mite that falls out the bottom of my OMFs . Meanwhile as warm air rises it seeps out from the gap at the top with matchsticks reducing the good done by the insulation.

[Neils]

He seems to be in the minority on Solid floors. Asked a few people who used to use solid floors and have since switched to OMFs whether they'd go back to solid if Varroa disappeared tomorrow. None of them would