Queen rearing using a Cloake board

This summer, I intend to use a Cloake board to get my bees rearing queens. This is because last year's experience of removing a queen to make a queenless starter colony proved to be difficult for a few reasons. Anyway, I'm looking forward to the Cloake method, but I'm puzzled as to why, after getting queen cells started in the upper brood box and removing the barrier between the brood boxes, the colony doesn't swarm when the first cell is sealed (as they would do if the queen cells had been drawn 'naturally' during normal swarming behaviour).

Is it because they then normalise again on reintroduction of queen substance? If so, why don't they tear down the queen cells?

Any suggestions? I just want to make sure my queen rearing experience this year builds positively on last year!

In definition these qcells are made by emergency impulse. So the main reason is colony isn't in swarm mood. Still there is qe after you remove division board between, queen can't go up and young bees in upper box nurse qcells.

Question:
as is intention to lift open brood above to lure young bees above in cell builder. Is it necessary if I lift every 7 days sealed brood above ( I have some monster colonies on three boxes and when reduce on 2 lot of bees will have to camp in front of hive).
I plan to reduce to they raise 15 qcells per breeder, my mentor told me don't have to -easily 20qcells?
On Monday I will get jenter from mentor. These queens for qrearing are originated from him, so again the role of mentor is crucial in beekeeping success ( at least in my case).
I plan to combine feed with honey ( in the evening) and syrup ( in the morning), with pattie ( ever present). Pollen incoming is pretty nice.

When using a Cloake Board, by inserting the board you are making the top box queenless, by so doing you are initiating the emergency impulse to building queen cells.

Subsequently removing the Cloake Board after 24 hours, the colony reverts to treating the started cells under the supercedure impulse.


So you have a "queenless starter" and a "queenright finisher" in the same colony.

Very effective.

sipa said:

So you have a "queenless starter" and a "queenright finisher" in the same colony.

Very effective.

Click to expand...

It might be worth you watching Michael Palmers presentation on Queen rearing on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7tinVIuBJ8&list=PLbr7jvL12x94RvRRE0tepOfstgMROmm5D&index=2