Nucleus method of swarm prevention or control …

… when queen can be found

Nucleus hive

Stuff a reduced nucleus hive entrance with grass. Add to this nuc:

  • 1 frame stores with the bees on it

  • 1 frame of brood with Queen 

  • 1 frame of emerging brood (mostly sealed) 

  • NO queen cells … this is vital!

Move frames aside and shake the bees from two or three brood frames into the gap to provide a decent amount of bees.

  • Fill the remaining space with frames, ideally drawn with stores if available or with foundation.

  • Should end up with Queen and 3 frames from original colony plus 2 or 3 frames of drawn comb or foundation.

If no stores provided in nuc, feed with syrup. Secure Nuc.

If you have a second apiary site at least 3 miles away, the nuc can be moved there, without the grass. 

Original colony in hive

If swarm control – ie queen cells were found before splitting the colony, this step can be taken straight away.

If swarm prevention: one week later 

  • Go through colony and destroy all queen cells except one good queen cell. (But if you wish to raise more than one queen, a nuc or two may be made up each containing one good queen cell on the brood frame.)

  • Leave alone for 2 weeks minimum.

Swarm control when queen cannot be found

If, on inspection, you find sealed queen cells (QCs), assume the colony has swarmed with the original queen. Then proceed as above and leave only one good queen cell, or make up another nuc or two, each with one good queen cells and an appropriate quantity of brood and stores. Feeding may be necessary if ample stores not available.

If no sealed QCs:

  • Move the original colony and hive as far from its current position in the apiary as is feasible, to separate the flying bees from this colony. Also rotate the hive 180º to reorientate its entrance.

  • Place new hive in original position with fresh brood frames (drawn or foundation as available).  Maintain same orientation as original colony. Flying bees from original colony will soon return here.

  • Remove from the original colony: 

    • 1 frame with eggs and young larvae (replace with foundation or drawn comb)

    • no queen cells … this is vital!

    • Place this frame in the centre of new hive in original position.

  • Add queen excluder

  • Add supers from the original hive

  • If there are no supers (with supplies) then feed syrup to encourage bees to draw out foundation.

Seven days later: The new colony should be busy, populated by the returning foragers.

  • Check the brood-in-all-stages frame for QCs. If none, assume queen was on the frame you donated to this colony.  

  • Check for new eggs and, if present, all’s well. Close up and leave alone.

  • If QCs present on donated brood frame: new colony is creating a queen, or several!  

  • Select the best unsealed QC with a well-fed, fat larva and destroy all other QCs.  Do not shake the frame! (A queen larva is easily separated from its feed by movement.)

  • Close up and leave for at least 17 days (earliest time for Q to emerge/mate/lay.) This can take up to 5 weeks!

Original colony in new position

  • If no QCs: there will be far fewer workers (many migrated to new colony) and it’s likely the queen is present and the colony will have torn down any QCs.

  • Check for eggs/very young larvae to confirm presence of queen

  • Close up and leave them bee!!

  • If QCs found

  • Select best unsealed QC.  Leave only one.  If all QCs are capped select best capped  cell near centre of brood nest for warmth. Destroy all others.

  • Close up and wait 17-28 days for new queen to emerge, mate and lay.

A fairly reliable way to avoid losing swarms is to prevent a swarm flying off in the first place! If one wing of the queen is clipped she will be unable to fly effectively. So, if a swarm leaves the hive, most of the bees will return when they realise that the queen is not with them. The queen will generally be found somewhere on the ground beneath the hive, not far from the entrance — often under the hive surrounded by worker bees.