# queen's



## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

does anybody have any queen's for sale? looks like i need two. i look like i have a box that is trying to swarm too--is there any way to take one of those queens? i have been reading up on the swarming here--what do you guys use for swarm bait?


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## PaulNKS (Jan 11, 2009)

I don't actually use a swarm bait. I know they generally congregate nearby before they leave. So... when I see signs of swarm approaching, I just keep a watch 2 or 3 times a day until they swarm. When they leave the hive and gather nearby, I put them in a nuc along with the queen. Usually, they stay there. After a few days, I move them into a hive body.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

You can pull a frame or two from the colonies you think are about to swarm and have queen cells on them. 
You also can possiably stop the swarming by removing half the hive with the queen to a new set up. It is an artifical swarm. Problem lies in finding rhe queen in a well built up hive.


Lemon grass oil seems to be the bait of choice after the ones from bee supply companies.


 Al


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

OR you can do it the real easy way ,,, put the top box a few feet away from were it was ,, put another box on top of it ,, move the bottom box a few feet from were it was and put a box on top of that one ,, now put a small box were the old hive was for the ones that were out and about ,, now it moved the old queen ,,no matter if she was in the top or bottom ,, been there done that ,, it work ,,, at the time I had 20 mins to make a split , cause I had to go some place ,, but it worked


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## AverageJo (Sep 24, 2010)

So Tom, did you put a couple of frames with eggs/larva in the small box where the old hive was for them to then build a queen as well? Sounds like an easy 3-way split as long as every box has eggs and larva. Interesting....

If I find I have a hive that is queenless, I just take a frame with eggs and larva (and another with capped brood if they're week) and place it in the queenless hive. They'll make a queen. Or, if I've recently done a split or had a hive swarm, I'll take out a frame with a queen cell in it from that hive and put it in the queenless hive. Good luck, OP!!


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## mare (Aug 31, 2006)

thanks guys i am going into the hives again tomorrow will try the things that have been suggested


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Yes Toms way will work in a pinch and your notnear the hives all day.

What happens when all the queen cells start hatching in both those splits?

 Al


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## indypartridge (Oct 26, 2004)

alleyyooper said:


> Lemon grass oil seems to be the bait of choice after the ones from bee supply companies.


I've tried various oils and lures, and have had the most success with just using a piece of old brood comb.


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## tom j (Apr 3, 2009)

I didn't think about the extra cells when I did it , they must have taken care of them as it worked but will watch my bright Ideas next time .
the 3rd year I wanted to make two splits ,, here is what I did ,, was made sure eggs were in top and bottom , toke off the top boxs and set them over a few feet , added a second box on top of them ,, put bottom for hive 1 were hive 2 had been ,, put bottom of hive 2 were hive 1 was , and added a top box to them,, I did not have queen cells in them so didn't worry to much ..


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