Stop Your Bees From Swarming. The Artificial Swarm

[@mickhoyle4064]

Just made my first ever split using your method and everything went well second time as I couldn't find the queen first time, so I put everything back together and left it until today. The Queen is now safe and sound inside her new NUC and the hive is queen-less for a week or so. Thanks again Gruff for your simple precise instructions.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Glad you found it useful 😊👍🏻

[@abdullahdaniel8010]

i know im asking the wrong place but does someone know a way to get back into an Instagram account?? I was dumb lost my login password. I love any tricks you can give me

[@javiermiguel6241]

@Abdullah Daniel instablaster =)

[@abdullahdaniel8010]

@Javier Miguel I really appreciate your reply. I got to the site through google and im trying it out now. I see it takes quite some time so I will get back to you later when my account password hopefully is recovered.

[@abdullahdaniel8010]

@Javier Miguel it worked and I finally got access to my account again. I am so happy! Thank you so much you really help me out :D

[@foleydave26]

Nice job buddy. I am in the states and trying to learn bee keeping so I can enjoy the hobby as well. Keep up the good content. I know how hard it is to get subscribers but you just earned mine.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thank you so much ☺️

[@bengibbon9229]

Probably your best video yet, thank you. 👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks Ben 😊

[@mikealdridgeret.4427]

Great video Gwenyn 👍🏻. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🐝

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No problem, thanks for watching 😊

[@richardevans7248]

Greetings Griff from a Welshman in California love ❤️ your videos on bees and farming in Wales makes me homesick sometimes .Anyway not to in anyway tell you how to run bees just a little tip please don't take the wrong way .When I make shook swarms I often harvest a few of bigger swarm cells put them in mating nucs with a cup full of nurse bees in each Nuc they will if all goes well be mated in less than two weeks .Then in a week from artificial swarm knock out all emergency cells in mother hive rendering them hopelessly queen less.Then re introduce now mated swarm queen from one of nucs This saves me so much more time for honey production.Time is Honey in this game! All the best butti

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hello Richard!! A Welsh in California!!! That must be rare!! 😀 Sounds like you’ve got it all under control! 😊👍🏻 Thanks for reaching out!! Made my day your Welsh and from California!! 😄

[@GC987]

I made a (long) separate comment on your other VLOG. This one I understand. P.S. Very high tech hive tool - very purposeful, professional looking (not like mine ! LOL). I suppose what threw me was that you are making up nucs under slightly different circumstances in the two videos - & unloaded them not too far apart (one being a split to stop swarming - and the other just doing a split on a less robust hive). Perhaps that's why you requeen a less robust/successful colony...... maybe I'm beginning to understand (I can be a bit slow on the uptake....) ! Really good video - thank you for the fast forward bit (it can be really painful watching other beekeepers looking at every single frame in real time. The bee VLOG equivalent of watching paint dry !) Excellent stuff !!! Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Greame!! I have just replied to you on the other comment. Hopefully that will answer the questions if not hit me back with another comment and il dive in deeper 😊👍🏻

[@s.y.g-gamer2589]

great video just starting out myself my first bee hive your videos are full of great tips :)

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Glad your finding them useful 😊👍🏻

[@stevienicks1967]

Great video. I am definitely going to try this method. Thanks for the advice.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No problem 😊👍🏻

[@hevchip741]

Very good, cheers

[@DiverPeg]

Brilliant! I’ll do this if I need to prevent a swarm.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@alanpurse7654]

Hi if you don’t have any room for more hives Can you reintroduced the nuc back to the original hive minus the old queen once they have produced a new queen hope that makes sense Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

You could but I wouldn’t. Keep that nuc to replace potential winter losses. If you come out of spring with too many hives you could sell some then.

[@CJBeekeeping]

Great vid again Gruyff- just wondering, did you make a follow up vid of the original hive and the new queen? My mentor does the same thing, but moves the nut to a separate Apiary over the 3 mile mark. Looks like there is no need to this.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks John, No I don’t think I did a follow up video. You can do it either way moving them to a new apiary or keeping them there.

[@alexrobinson9458]

If you remove the queen into a separate colony and remove the queen cells from the original colony. The following week when the queen cells are remade and charged with brood or jelly, won’t the queen cells be filled with unfertilised eggs resulting in drones being made as the queen is missing who has all the bee sperm to fertilise the egg to make a queen? Thank you for reading my question.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi Alex, Great question. No, because the bees will start to make queen cells instantly when you remove the Queen. The bees can make a Queen from any fertilised egg up to 3 days old. Because every have just removed the Queen there will be plenty of eggs in the hive.

[@CJBeekeeping]

Hu Gruff - do you feed them much more after the first feed of syrup?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

All depends if the time of year and current honey flow. Most cases one feed is enough

[@CJBeekeeping]

That’s what I was hoping you’d say. Cheers buddy

[@arthurkinderman6149]

Can you use a brood box instead of a nuc very helpful video, thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes you can 😊

[@davidsoloninka7742]

Are your gloves sting proof?… if so where did u get them? Thx

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No but I don’t get stung to much in them. I wear a stronger orange glove these days. We sell them on our website 😀

[@petermurphy6216]

Hello mate, exactly the way I split my colonies I was shown this way many years ago and have never really tried any other method but I do take the nuc to my other yard leave them locked up for the day or two and as you said there good for the following year. Thanks mate good vlog.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks Peter 😊

[@IanUK.]

Thank you for this video, I found Queen cells yesterday so I just got on with the artificial swarm you demonstrate. If original box does not produce a new Queen do you put old Queen back in or move a frame with eggs from old Queen in the nuc to the original hive.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Great question. In about 4 weeks time you can add a frame of eggs into it to boost numbers and potentially give the bees another opportunity to make another queen if they need to. It’s never 100% success rate with breeding queens

[@gwenyngruffydd]

But yes you can re-introduce the queen but no guarantee they will accept here. She will need to be re introduced in a cage to give her the best chance

[@laurad2136]

I do not have space to relocate the nuc or to turn direction.. can I keep the nuc next to the hive pointing same direction and close nuc's entrance for a day allowingfor ventilation? Is that going to work?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It could but I would not recommend it. I’d spin it round 180 degrees to be safe. Or even 90 degrees.

[@Dave-uw4wb]

Brilliant info. Thank you 👍👍

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@johnnycorcoran6076]

Would you re-queen the hive if the the queen that will hatch dies or something

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No, but there’s nothing wrong in doing that. I would give them a frame of eggs and let nature take its toll

[@johnnycorcoran6076]

@@gwenyngruffydd thanks

[@T.S.Beez01]

watching this video I noticed the design of you veil, and prefer it to your previous ones & my own, where did it you get this particular one please?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, It’s from Swienty 😊

[@T.S.Beez01]

thank you very much, I'm off to have a look, 🤞🤞🤞 🙏🙏🙏 they aren't too many £££

[@gwenyngruffydd]

The price is competitive 😊

[@T.S.Beez01]

@@gwenyngruffydd itll have to be much more competitive for me, that price would sting me more than the bees, 🤣😂

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😄😂😂

[@jackspring7709]

This is probably going to sound like a stupid question but is it possible to encourage a swarming colony from one hive into a new, empty hive nearby? I know that some beekeepers use bee swarm attractant/lure to encourage wild colonies to enter an empty hive. I was wondering if this would work with domestic bees also?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Great question, yes it does happen. You can set up an empty hive at the apiary and if your bees swarm they can go into the empty hive. But this is rare, normally they like to go some distance before setting up another home. But it does happen! If they want to swarm it’s always best to do an artificial swarm yourself and be in control of the process 😀

[@jackspring7709]

@@gwenyngruffydd I see. Thanks. I'll keep an eye out for that. Thanks again for the prompt reply.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No problem 😊

[@hockalo]

Great video! Can I again cut out the queen cells making them hopelessly queenless then introduce an overwintered nuc queen so the laying resumes sooner. Or is it best to let them raise their own younger queen. Thanks!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

hi, Yes you can do that as well. Nothing wrong with that method. Just make sure you catch every queen cell!

[@Dougarrowhead]

Cutting out the queen cells wont make them queenless. If you have cells they are going to swarm anyway. You cant stop them from swarming.

[@PeadarBoc]

I have five hives and not really interested (for now at least!) in having more. What's the best approach in this scenario?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Probably to sell the nuc instead of keeping it. 😄 But sell it once the old hive has successfully created a new mated queen. There are a few things you could do.. kill the old queen and reunite the nuc with the hive etc Either way once they show signs of swarming you need to get a new queen in there.

[@darkeblue]

Pretty good. Remove swarm cells and replace with emergency supercedure cells. Do you find the quality of the new queens drop off when you create this type of artificial swarm?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Not really, there will be some small QC there yes....but at the same time there will be one or two big juicy ones too!! I keep the best one. 😊

[@darkeblue]

@@gwenyngruffydd Thanks! I am going to have to try this artificial swarm technique soon.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Works a treat! 😊🐝🐝🐝

[@denisesmith2403]

I like your hood on your suit, where can I get one?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It’s from Swienty 😊

[@buzzingadventures1980]

Should I do artificial swarm on all my hives?, Still debating whether to clip my queens wings or not?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It’s up to you. It’s a great method if they want to swarm.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Clipping the queen’s wing will buy you some time but won’t stop swarming

[@MasiMoreno]

where did you buy those clothes?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

The bee suit is from swienty 😊

[@MasiMoreno]

@@gwenyngruffydd gracias

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊

[@Holdfast]

Some people suggest putting the new box at the original location. The theory is that the flying bees from the original will return to the new hive and lose the desire to swarm. Has anyone here tried that?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Lots of different ways to make it work. This way works too.

[@grassracin282]

@@gwenyngruffydd thank you for the really helpful video. I have a question, hoping you can help. I caught a medium-sized swarm late last year and obviously don't know the age of the queen so I was going to use my BS honey nuc box for swarm control but I was wondering if it's possible to do the swarm control with the 3 frames one side in the nuc and the other 3 frames use a frame with a queen cell on and bees etc ? So basically make a new queen in the original hive, keeping the queen in the nuc one side and also create a new queen in the other side of the nuc to then kill the old queen and merge the bees in the nuc. Therefore making 2 new queen's to head two colonies, one in the hive and one in the nuc? Sorry if that doesn't make sense ! Thanks

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Can’t see why not. As long as the original hive was strong enough and plenty of brood frames. Should be fine

[@grassracin282]

@@gwenyngruffydd thank you for you quick reply! Will see how they go 🤞

[@beworthitptyltd2393]

Gwenyn, where did you get your veil from? seems ginormous... but good at keeping them away from the face.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It’s from Swienty. It’s called the Swienty Breeze suit. I did a review on it.kzbin.info/www/bejne/maTJh3Z8fbSIgsk

[@maconwright2254]

I’m a keeper as well. I think it would be neat to swap honey. I live in the states (Indiana). I’m intrigued by different honey flavors. :)

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Sounds good 😊👍🏻

[@gregnuttgens8532]

One question: why do you knock off all the Queen Cells and wait for them to make more? Why not reduce the existing queen cells to one?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Great question Because the hive is full of eggs and the bees can make even more queen cells once you leave

[@bensmith9785]

Won't the other hive stop foraging now that they are queenless?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Ben Smith no, they will still need nectar and pollen for all the young brood in the hive. They will continue as normal.

[@3Beehivesto300]

You said to never put foundation in the middle of the hive. I always put my foundation in the middle of the hive. Just 1 frame and skip 2 brood and then the second foundation. Widens out the nest and make fast comb.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Not on a split. On other hives yes.

[@beekeepinggarden165]

Great idea thank you 🐝🐝👌👍

[@gwenyngruffydd]

No problem 😊

[@IanUK.]

Hi, As mentioned below I carried out an artificial swarm as per your video. That was 16 days ago. Today, in the rain, I have a clump of bees bearding from edge of landing board and another clump under a visor a foot above the landing board. They have been there for a couple of hours. Any suggestions what to do would be appreciated. Both clumps are about the size of 2 fists.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Sounds like a cast swarm. How many queen cells did you leave in the original hive?

[@IanUK.]

Hi, Just the one I intended to do. I'll box them up and see what happens. I did not initially as worried no Queen in the clumps and they were waiting for the newly produced Queen to come out for a mating flight.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Give them plenty of syrup to help draw out the frames. Casts swarms are never guaranteed to work...but sometimes the do 🤞🏻

[@IanUK.]

@@gwenyngruffydd Thank you for replying again. Will do. I don't mind giving them a chance, I can't see they would have made it outside a box in this awful weather.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

This spring is making everything hard about Beekeeing

[@mariuscarrick4256]

Great video, does this method mean that you end up with double the amount of colonies every year?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Unfortunately no, not all the hive s will mate successfully. If you purchased or bred queens yourself and introduced them then yes you would double every year.

[@mariuscarrick4256]

@@gwenyngruffydd ok thanks, if the Queen failed, could we reintroduce the one we took out by uniting the colonies?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes you could but I wouldn’t. Sometimes the bees want to swarm because the queen is old or on the way out. I would try and let the splits make their own queen. You should get a success rate of 60%-70%. With introduced queens much higher again.

[@mariuscarrick4256]

@@gwenyngruffydd thanks for your help. I’m subscribed!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Your welcome, thanks for subscribing 😊

[@reade79]

Really enjoyed this vid. Very interesting and the way I'd have thought an artificial swarm should be executed. I've never quite understood when some methods are in leaving or rearranging frames and the Queen, to ultimately her ending up back where she started in the original hive and position. To me this kind of method goes against the reason to why bee's want and to swarm. The Queen doesn't want to hang around with her original crib!! Innit? 😆

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Glad you found it useful 😊

[@DenbeeHoney]

Life saver thx Griff

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@roystheboy]

my second hive super seeded as the queen either got damaged or killed in the move or she swarmed as i found 7 capped queen cells

[@gwenyngruffydd]

If they super seeded there would only be 1-2 cells. If there are 7 she’s probably swarmed. How many bees are there in the hive?

[@roystheboy]

@@gwenyngruffydd there was still alot of bees there I left 2 cells and have left them now for 12 days now

[@glynisreynolds446]

This is an excellent video. Well done for including so much information. I wish I’d seen it in March, before the swarm season started, as it definitely better than the method I’ve been using over the last few years. Am going to subscribe and I’m looking forward to seeing more of your videos.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks for the kind comment and thanks for subscribing 😊 glad your here for the ride! 🐝🐝

[@joseluisgonzalez-ef6nb]

Good evening colleague, allow me to contact you to request a job opportunity

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, Unfortunately we haven’t got any openings at the moment. If your looking to work in the U.K. on bee farms contact the bee farmers association. They have job openings there. 😊👍🏻

[@jeandevlin9822]

Can a split like this be made without Queen cells in the main colony or do you have to wait until they are seen? Can l just say this is the Best Beekeeping Video l have come across! Well Presented and Very Informative.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Yes you can split bees without q cells. The one without the queen will make q cells. Either let them make a queen or introduce your own.

[@CJBeekeeping]

@@gwenyngruffydd Some people don't rate these "emergency cells". What are you thoughts? Cheers - getting ready or next spring

[@joseluisgonzalez-ef6nb]

Hello

[@markw.5128]

Another great video. Thanks. Keep them coming. I am experimenting with this type of split and a Demaree. With Demaree Bees are back filling top box brood frames with nectar.😱😱

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Thanks Mark 😊. A lot of people use the demaree method.

[@markw.5128]

Took your advice and split a hive yesterday just as you demonstrated. Hope it works out. and I get some honey from the original. This one is on you Gwenyn 😂😂 By the way Two Demarees were not successful. Bees continued to build QCs for two weeks in top and bottom boxs after and had to be split.

[@denisesmith2403]

I see someone has already asked this and it is a Swienty Suit.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😁

[@johnhoffman8203]

I dont understand why you destroy all the cells the first time vice just removing the queen like you did and allowing the one cell to hatch and speed things up?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Because they will make more queen cells with the eggs already in the hive. You risk losing multiple cast swarms

[@LordJasonKing]

id love to have bees but it looks so complicated!

[@gwenyngruffydd]

It’s easy once you get into it!

[@LordJasonKing]

@@gwenyngruffydd i'm on a bit of a budget, what you think of a getting a used national hive on Ebay??

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Second hand is fine nothing wrong with it. Just make sure you don’t use second hand frames and sterilise the hive properly and you’ll be fine

[@WaleshiddenhistoryMD]

As a beginner it wouldn't be bad if I could actually see what you are doing.. the camera is too far you, you need to do close-ups on stuff like a queen cells so people that are new like myself actually know what they are looking for..

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Noted 😊👍🏻

[@leesommer5871]

The background music is awful.

[@billiamc1969]

Why are beekeepers afraid of bees swarming? Its like being afraid of your dog barking...swarming is perfectly normal folks...a colony that does not have a swarming instinct is a horrible colony.

[@gwenyngruffydd]

Hi, Thanks for the comment but I respectfully disagree. When your bees swarm you will lose half the bees. And any hope of a decent honey crop from them. When your living depends on a crop of honey you can’t afford to let your bees swarm. That’s why the artificial swarm is so good. Good for bees and beekeeper. + what would your neighbour say if your bees swarmed into his chimney!?

[@paulwilliams3494]

@@gwenyngruffydd Indeed Griff! You are a honey producer and bee farmer, not a charity. As you also mentioned it's quite inconsiderate allowing lots of swarms as there are few natural cavities for them these days so often someone ends up with a potential problem on their property. I note some channels content is mainly videos of bee removal jobs. I wonder why?

[@gwenyngruffydd]

😊👍🏻

[@unforseenlaboratories8017]

It's like a cattle farmer not caring about losing half his older cattle by breaking out and roaming to some other farm where you can't find them.

[@toroklaszlo8400]

Bla bla you muving werry slow

[@subee248]

And you my friend are rude and can't spell.