Question about extremely large hives

FordGuy · March 04, 2007, 09:01:19 AM

hi folks. I think I'm at risk of a swarm, and I hope someone can give me a little advice here. I have three hives that are two deeps and a medium. Still very heavy in March, and the "problem" is they are very full of bees. I have never had hives this strong in March. (I remember what I did last year and will try to duplicate this year though!)

two weeks ago, I removed about 4 frames of honey and inserted empty brood comb in a checkerboard pattern in the brood chamber. There were a very large number of bees two weeks ago, and same or more now. I left what I felt was enough honey in the hive to sustain them till the flow.

What can I do to lessen the chance of swarming, but yet still have a large number of bees for the nectar flow?

I still consider myself a newbie, and I am afraid my checkerboarding may not be sufficient to prevent a swarm.

Kirk-o · March 04, 2007, 10:45:27 AM

I think taking out some frames of honey and replaceing with new frames and foundation was smart.Go to michael bush's site and read unlimited brood nest and the sections on swarming
you will like that
kirko

Michael Bush · March 04, 2007, 11:43:09 AM

>What can I do to lessen the chance of swarming, but yet still have a large number of bees for the nectar flow?

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

Look under "preventing swarming".

TwT · March 04, 2007, 08:15:54 PM

Ford are you finding any drones yet?

FordGuy · March 04, 2007, 08:27:59 PM

Michael, if I do the cut down (as I understand it, removal of queen, all open brood, some food)

question 1: I plan to move them around 75 feet and do the limb in front of the opening so the few foragers that cling to frames re-orient. This going to be effective for such a short move? what else would you suggest, if anything?

q 2: My goal is a large honey maker prior to the flow, when danger of swarm has passed. Plan is to remove the majority of the bees and frames from original hive, and to add them to the old queen and her open brood, which will then be capped and emerging....

just need some feedback on whether this is a half baked plan or not...

Michael Bush · March 04, 2007, 09:00:31 PM

>Michael, if I do the cut down (as I understand it, removal of queen, all open brood, some food)

>question 1: I plan to move them around 75 feet and do the limb in front of the opening so the few foragers that cling to frames re-orient. This going to be effective for such a short move? what else would you suggest, if anything?

I would do it when it's predicted to be a warm night (50's F) in case some don't find their way back the first night. Move in the morning when they are flying so the confused ones have time to find the new location again after they fly back to the old one.

>q 2: My goal is a large honey maker prior to the flow, when danger of swarm has passed. Plan is to remove the majority of the bees and frames from original hive, and to add them to the old queen and her open brood, which will then be capped and emerging....

But the point of the cut down, is to remove only the OPEN brood and only enough nurse bees to care for them, so that the OLD hive has all the field bees and no brood.

FordGuy · March 04, 2007, 09:11:06 PM

Quote from: TwT on March 04, 2007, 08:15:54 PM
Ford are you finding any drones yet?

Quite a few in most hives. I did notice that I found drones earliest in hives where I left a super of honey on them plus their two deeps. (did you get a chance to compare my clover to yours? is mine a little runty?)

TwT · March 04, 2007, 09:19:19 PM

Quote from: FordGuy on March 04, 2007, 09:11:06 PM
Quote from: TwT on March 04, 2007, 08:15:54 PM
Ford are you finding any drones yet?

Quite a few in most hives. I did notice that I found drones earliest in hives where I left a super of honey on them plus their two deeps. (did you get a chance to compare my clover to yours? is mine a little runty?)

well in the pasture behind my place its about 5-8 inches tall, in my pine tree pasture it is about 3-4 inches, first year I planted it in the pine tree pasture, the pasture behind the house where it is growing tall I have put lime and fertilizer in that pasture a few years back maybe thats why it is doing good, mater of fact it is just as tall as the grass, no grass in the pine tree pasture....

Zoot · March 05, 2007, 11:52:55 PM

Michael,

Would your advice about moving only frames with open brood and their accompanying nurse bees also apply to moving frames from a very large colony to a weaker hive (hives) thereby accomplishing 2 things - swarm prevention in the big hive, adding population to the weaker hive?

Michael Bush · March 06, 2007, 07:26:04 AM

>Would your advice about moving only frames with open brood and their accompanying nurse bees also apply to moving frames from a very large colony to a weaker hive (hives) thereby accomplishing 2 things - swarm prevention in the big hive, adding population to the weaker hive?

Sure. But it's all in the timing. If you do this early in the spring it will set the big hive back a lot. If you do it between two weeks before the flow and anytime DURING the flow it will free up bees to forage in the big hive.