Artificial swarm technique

QB used to get quite upset when she came home from work to find a swarm hanging from a branch ready for the "off".  Then I found you could make the bees think they had swarmed.  Here's how.

First, during May to (say) early July  I go through each hive every 7 - 9 days (every Sunday afternoon).
This can be quick if time is short.  Just looking for Q cells.
On the day I find any I carry out an "artificial swarm".
1)  Move original brood and floor to the right by 2'.
2)  Place a new brood box and floor in its place.
3)  Find Q. in original brood. (This is when I'm pleased I marked her)
     Place Q and comb in centre of new brood box. Add empty drawn or new combs either side.
     NB making sure there are no queen cells on the combs.
4)  Put Q excluder and supers with bees intact from original hive.
5)  Leave entrance open about 2-3bee width - the foraging workers will come back to the queen.

6)  Now for the original hive - 2' away.
     Go through the brood box.  Remove all sealed Q cells. Leave 2 or 3 unsealed Q cells ie with well-developed larvae.
7)  Put on crown board and roof.  I usually feed them 1:1 syrup about 6-8pints.
     Close entrance to 1 bee width .
     Remember there are only nurse bees/eggs/larvae in this hive so no bees on guard duty.
8)  After 1 week move this hive to the left of the new (swarm) hive.
     This is so any bees which are now foraging will go back to the old queen and swell the numbers
     until the brood builds up.
     
If the queenless colony fails to rear a laying queen OR if you want to replace the old queen you can combine these 2 colonies through newspaper later.

Old Queen marked red - when I found her I put the comb in a box to deal with later.
Then at least I know where she is!

The left photo. shows the "swarm" hive (new box on old site) ready to receive the old queen and her retinue.
The right photo shows the "swarm"
brood box with the frame with the old queen and bees reinstated. Next add QX/supers/crownboard/roof.

This is the original hive - feeder in place as there are not yet any foraging bees to collect nectar and pollen.

Hope this is clear and not too late. Keep on BZzzzzzzzzzzzzing!!