Hypothetical Question re: Swarm Prevention

[antaro]

Odd question: If you completely sealed off the entrance to a hive that was imminently planning on swarming, what would be the effect? I once read that bad weather will prevent a swarm, perhaps indefinitely. Could hive sealing do the same?

More realistically, I have a hive looking to swarm swiftly and a buddy who wants bees but isn't around until Thursday afternoon. Not sure if my bees will last that long. If I sealed the hive for two days would they stay? They have stores to eat

Not looking to insight bee cruelty, just curious.

[JP]

They would have no choice but to wait it out, as if some horrible storm had ensued.


...JP

[Robo]

I would be concerned with overheating.  If they are ready to swarm, they are most likely very high in population and need the ability to move out of the hive as part of regulating hive temperature.

[BjornBee]

If I am reading this correctly, that you are planning or thought of waiting till Thursday to deal with this, why not make up a artificial swarm? Are you waiting for them to swarm to then catch them? If so, perhaps not the best plans.

The old queen usually leaves prior to queen cells emerging. Sometimes bees can keep the virgin queens inside the cells. But I would think that this is just a temporary control measure and multiple queens will emerge, and it will be a battle with you losing queens.

Bees may delay swarming for a day or two with bad weather. So this means instead of leaving three or four days prior to new queens emerging, she may leave 2 or 3 days prior to new queens emerging. They don't wait till the day of the new queens emerging then decide to stick around. That is why some swarms may fly off perhaps a week prior to new queens hatching. And if within the week, it becomes nasty weather, they will hold off and then emerge on the first sunny day. So No, it is not the same as if they are holding out some horrible storm. What you might end up with is one queen, either still in control of the colony but damaged, or a hive with no queen after the only good queen flies away.

[JP]

I would be concerned with overheating.  If they are ready to swarm, they are most likely very high in population and need the ability to move out of the hive as part of regulating hive temperature.

I was going to mention this as well but assumed he had made provisions against over heating but perhaps he hadn't. Thanks for mentioning it Rob.


...JP

[antaro]

Thanks for the info, folks.
Again: This was not something I was planning on doing but rather was curious given my current situation.
Thanks for the info!

[AliciaH]

I second the artificial swarm idea.  How close is your friend?  Could you do an artificial swarm in his equipment?  If he's a few miles away, then he could pick up the hive when he gets home on Thursday.

[Finski]

Odd question: If you completely sealed off the entrance to a hive that was imminently planning on swarming, what would be the eff

you should  close the hive with excluder.


50 y ago "excluder prisons" were usual to keep swarm at home.

.............

One guy left  home 3 for weeks and he asked how to prevent swarming.
I told that make a false swarm to those 3 hives before you leave.
So he did and everything was ok whenhe returned.

.