Did a cutout last week, had swarm cells. I treat them like insurance if i miss the queen.
SHould I not keep them? IS there risk they will swarm after a tramatic cutout?
If you put the comb with the queen cell, some comb with honey and enough bees in a two frame nuc or a "queen castle" or a "mating box" (depending on the bee supplier) or a standard box with a follower reducing it to two frames, you can let them mate the queen and care for her. What do you mean by "keep" them? Leave them in the cutout? One might be good insurance if you didn't see the queen.
That answers part of the question. So let me rephrase, will a hive that was about to swarm, still swarm even after it suffers the trauma of a cutout?
Quote from: Michael Bush on May 25, 2009, 02:03:37 PM
If you put the comb with the queen cell, some comb with honey and enough bees in a two frame nuc or a "queen castle" or a "mating box" (depending on the bee supplier) or a standard box with a follower reducing it to two frames, you can let them mate the queen and care for her. What do you mean by "keep" them? Leave them in the cutout? One might be good insurance if you didn't see the queen.
>That answers part of the question. So let me rephrase, will a hive that was about to swarm, still swarm even after it suffers the trauma of a cutout?
You never know with bees. I'd be more afraid of absconding than swarming because of the trauma. But I doubt they will do either if you have brood in the cut out.