Artificial swarm (Ian Craig)

[Mellifera Crofter]

... I tend to use the split board when I am producing a new queen but use the Demaree if I want to keep the hive strong for honey production. You could still use the Demaree if you want to produce queen cells for Nucs but I tend to use the split board

...Some people just bore a little hole in the top box to let the drones escape. They are attracted to the light.

I often put a second excluder over the supers and below the top box as insurance, as this prevents a virgin queen which hatches early in the top box from getting down into the supers. Having said that, it is bad practice to let a virgin queen escape as you should put rollers over the cells 48 hours before hatch date.

Thanks Jimbo and Jon,

I'm beginning to get a better idea of what to do when - better, but not quite there yet. When I asked about using the honey boxes as a queen excluder, it did not occur to me that a new queen in the top box might want to move down to get out. I've seen your photograph with the rollers, Jon, but have never used rollers. Perhaps that's something else I should learn about this year.

Back to the split board or Snelgrove board - another question: Why do some variations have a gauze insert, and others - like Ian's - are without?

Kitta

[Jimbo]

I was told the gauze inserts was to allow heat up to the upper box but have never used that type of split board

[gavin]

To add to that, I've heard that bees will exchange feed across a mesh and so the weaker half (in terms of foragers) may benefit. The other thing is that the colonies will not diverge in terms of colony odour and any reuniting or movement of queens later should go more smoothly.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks, Jimbo and Gavin.

Next question if I may: When would one choose a Snelgrove (or division board) and when a Horsley Board?

I've mentioned that I used a Horsley Board last year, but my reason for using it then was because I could not find the queen and I've run out of floors and roofs and therefore had to create an AS under one roof. I brushed all the bees into the new bottom brood box and waited for the nurse bees to move up to the old box through the little queen excluder slot. I don't know if it would have worked because the hive was knocked over. Are there any other reasons for choosing the one method above the other?

Kitta

[Jimbo]

Hi MC,

I have never used either of the above for swarm control. I tend to keep it simple. If I see charged queen cells on my weekly inspections. I look for the queen and do the split similar to the demaree. I leave 24hrs for the nurse bees to move up to cover the brood and queen cells. I then put in my swarm board with the 3 doors and bleed off flying bees back into the bottom box with the old queen. I then sort out the queen cell I want and leave them to get on with it. When that top box has a new mated laying queen I then either increase by splitting or reunite back with the bottom colony after removing the old queen. If I find charged queen cells and cant find the queen I shake off all the bees into the bottom box and remove the frames of brood into another box which I put on top with the queen excluder between both boxes, leave 24hrs for the nurse bees to move up and cover the brood. I still check (Also lets out any drones stuck in the top box)1 week later in the bottom box to see that the old queen is not making more queen cells and that she is laying well.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Thanks Jimbo

'Keep it simple.' I like that.

Thanks to everybody for your help.

Kitta

[GRIZZLY]

Basically the Horsley board and the Snelgrove board have similar functions i.e. separating the new b.box and supers from the old brood box which is placed on top.With the horsley board you can brush off all the bees from the frames in the upper chamber then open the slide exposing access to the upper chamber for the nurse bees to clamber up to cover the brood and excluding all the older bees by then closing the slide - blocking of the lower chamber from the top box.Flying from the upper box is via the slot in the upper framing.The Snelgrove board has a central hole covered in mesh.This allows contact between the upper and lower bees thro the mesh which maintains the same hive odour top and bottom.The Snelgrove system WAS intended to force the bees to make emergency cells in the upper box allowing several splits to be made,the Horsley board was intended as a swarm control method although the Snelgrove board is also used for swarm control.Both boards are so similar that I dont think it matters which one you use in a Demaree artificial swarm.If you read Snelgroves book his system is quite complicated-filtering off bees from the top box to the lower to keep the number of bees in the top box small and thus preventing "thoughts" of swarming occuring in the upper chamber.I've used the "pure" snelgrove system-faithfully following his method but you need to keep a pretty good diary of opening and closing the upper and lower slides for bee filtering.

[Neils]

I'll try and dig up some slides for the simplified Snelgrove method that we use round these parts.

[Neils]

Right then, This chart might be a useful reference:



The Really basic version:



The slightly more involved version:



So day one (as an AS method rather than for raising queen cells) you find queen Cells, the Queen and 2 frames of brood go in the bottom brood box (no Queen Cells). Queen Excluder and supers go on top, then the Snelgrove Board and the brood box with the brood. the top entrance is opened, all others are closed. Existing Flying bees exit the top entrance and return to the lower one.

Day 10 you come back, close the front top entrance, open the front lower entrance and back top entrance to bleed new flying bees into the lower box. New flying bees leave the back entrance, return the front and in below the Snelgrove board.

Day 12 either make up nucs with the queen cells or reduce to one and wait for new Queen to start laying and split or re-unite.

[Mellifera Crofter]

Basically the Horsley board and the Snelgrove board have similar functions i.e. separating the new b.box and supers from the old brood box which is placed on top.With the horsley board you can brush off all the bees from the frames in the upper chamber ...

Right then, This chart might be a useful reference: ...

Thank you, Grizzly and Nellie. I suppose, Grizzly, it seems that I was on the right track last year when I used a Horsley board when I couldn't find the queen - until a deer knocked the hive over.

An excellent chart and diagrams, Nellie. Thank you so much. I think it's the best drawings explaining Snelgrove I've seen so far. Very helpful.

I think I'm ready for the next season - in my head, anyway. I won't panic, I'll keep it simple, and I have lots of very helpful information to consult.

Thanks,
Kitta