I have been learning about swarm prevention and managed to control most of my strongest hives before they built any charged cells and knocked the swarming instinct on the head. Unfortunately due to bad weather one hive did produce charged cells, so I did an artificial swarm padgen.
I have set the boxes up so the hive containing nurse bees and QC faces 90 degrees away from the original hive, as I intend on reuniting them but I also want to requeen them.
I’m thinking I requeen the nurse bee split? Let her settle in, and maybe two weeks later kill the old queen and reunite?.
How soon can I requeen the nurse bee colony that has all the brood?. I obviously will need to knock down all cells built. I don’t want to let them re-queen them-self.
How long before they would be out of swarm instinct and safe to reunite them?.
Appreciate any advice.
I have set the boxes up so the hive containing nurse bees and QC faces 90 degrees away from the original hive, as I intend on reuniting them but I also want to requeen them.
I’m thinking I requeen the nurse bee split? Let her settle in, and maybe two weeks later kill the old queen and reunite?.
How soon can I requeen the nurse bee colony that has all the brood?. I obviously will need to knock down all cells built. I don’t want to let them re-queen them-self.
How long before they would be out of swarm instinct and safe to reunite them?.
Appreciate any advice.