Trading queens for Swarm prevention

[Greg Peck]

If a person had a strong hive that they did not want to or could not split could the beekeep switch queens with another hive. Maybe the new queens pheromones being different would trick the bees into thinking they had swarmed. Of course they would have to be introduced just like re queening so they do not get killed. 

[mark]

won't work.  i wouldn't risk disrupting a hive that is doing well during a flow

[Michael Bush]

If they've made up their mind to swarm, my bet is they will go ahead and swarm.  If they haven't, then there are many more proven methods for swarm control that aren't that much work.  Finding, and introducing queens can be a tricky proposition and the results are still unknown.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

[JP]

If a person had a strong hive that they did not want to or could not split could the beekeep switch queens with another hive. Maybe the new queens pheromones being different would trick the bees into thinking they had swarmed. Of course they would have to be introduced just like re queening so they do not get killed. 

The reason your premise would not work is the fact that queens don't have any decision as to why a colony swarms, the bees make that decision. Once they are set to swarm, you have to trick them into thinking they've already swarmed.

Best thing, split and add existing queen to the split, keep queen cells in parent hive.


...JP