The Artificial Swarm

If you find Unsealed Queen cells but no Sealed Queen cells then the colony may be about to swarm.

You will need a complete second hive – roof , floor, queen excluder, brood and super boxes each with a full set of frames.

Green is new, Brown is old.

2m Left

Original Position

2m Right

At the start you will have a brood box with one or more supers on it

Move the old brood box two metres to one side

Place the new brood box in the original position

Find the queen and move her and one frame of brood to the new brood box. Replace the supers.

Flying bees from the old hive go back to the original location (in the middle in this case).

After seven days move the old brood box about two metres the other side of the original position.

Flying bees from the old hive won’t be able to find their hive so will go to the nearest hive (in the middle in this case).

Add new supers to old brood box.