How to perform an artificial swarm

It is often confusing how to perform an artificial swarm on a beehive and so I hope that this video helps people out.

I know I needed a lot of help when trying to perform one!

For more beekeeping hints and help follow my blog at

www.surreybeekeeper.co.uk

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Category:

Education

Tags:

• artificial swarm
• beekeeping techniques
• how to be a beekeeper
• bee swarms

[jamesdearsley]

Hi Jannassary,

Its not wrong but it is also not right. The colony in the old position (with queen) needs bees from that other colony (with QC) and hence why it remains in position. Older flying bees will help build wax in the colony with queen and hence why they are needed. The colony in the new position will have a lot of new bees and ones hatching so their numbers shouldn't be too badly affected.

Moving hive away is a very big risk to the colony now with Q BUT not entirely wrong.

James

[fanatamon]

A simple method that I use when making splits, move the old hive half the hive width to the left or right and place the new box on half the spot of the old hive, so each hive is now 50% on the original hive location, each hive then gets about 50% of the foragers, but none leave because the locale and smell are the same, then spray the new queen & split with a sugar water & lemon grass oil mix, insert the queen and your done. No bees leave you get 50% foragers & you don't have to move the hives!

[mxLoon]

Great video. This Pagden method is used in books and training. For the new colony (old queen, flying bees, old site) exclude nurse bees to further make the colony think it swarmed. Select capped brood frames so larvae don’t need feeding, which would burden the bees. They soon emerge, strengthen the colony, and stay with it. Spacing is just 1m so flying bees return to the new, weak hive. Later, increase the colonies (keep hives separate) or reunite with the new queen after mating and in lay.

[jannassary]

BUT HAVE A QUESTION WE WERE TAUGHT AFTER THE SPLIT ARTIFICAIL THAT WE SHOULD MOVE THE HIVE NEW ONE THE ONE WITH THE QUEEN CELLS AT LEAST 5 KM AWAY FROM THE ORIGINAL HIVE. AS THE FERMONES OF THE OLD QUEEN WILL ATTRACT THE COLONY BACK TO HER HIVE. THUS LEAVING THE NEW HIVE WITHOUT ANY BEES, THIS IS FOR A WEEK(SPLIT). HAVE I BEEN TAUGHT WRONG OR DO BOTH WORK OR DOES MY KNOWING GARANTEE THE HIVES SURVIVIAL???? PLZ CAN YOU CLARIFY THX

[jannassary]

VERY SIMPLE EXPLANATION LOVE THE MODELS THANK YOU VERY MUCH ...THUMBS UP TOO...

[yorttube]

Like the little model bee hives. Glad to see you back doing video. Did your hives make it through winter?