Using Swarm cells
- Thread starter yesbut
- Start date
Not all swarm cells are awesome. In a typical hive preparing for swarming, as per Binnie, there will be some excellently raised cells. But often there will also be some ratty ones. In my view, the very best raised cells, on average, are autumn supersedure cells.
pretty much. however it can't be the only way you make queens.
if all you do is use swarm cells then its begging for swarmy bees, because you will use those swarmy bees that he says not to use.. however splitting a swarmy hive, or even making a few nucs is ok, especially if you are going to requeen later.
if all you do is use swarm cells then its begging for swarmy bees, because you will use those swarmy bees that he says not to use.. however splitting a swarmy hive, or even making a few nucs is ok, especially if you are going to requeen later.
Yeah completely agree, using swarm cells is a great stopgap but I'd absolutely requeen them otherwise you're propagating swarming behavior in your genetics, which ironically used to be a preferred trait back in the days of skep beekeeping because that's how you'd increase your stocks for the honey flow. Funny how things change 😃 I remember that people would spit tacks when they got manuka honey in their supers 😂 and would pull bee's out of manuka to stop it going into the supers😃