Can supersedure be induced?

[Zante]

I'm thinking I'd like to replace my queen. I could buy one, but I want to learn how to do it by myself.
I have a number of plastic queen cups and a few chinese grafting tools, and I've already done grafting during my apprenticeship in London, but t hat was with an existing wax cup, and with a Q- hive.

If I do a grafting in a Q+ hive with a plastic cup, do I risk inducing swarming rather than supersedure? Am I better off just finding the queen and putting her in a nuc with a few frames?

I'd rather go for supersedure if possible because I want to learn how to do these manipulations and I'd rather avoid an interruption in laying, but if it's something that just isn't done or risky, then I'll go for splitting the colony by putting the old queen in a nuc.

 

[Bosleeu]

This might be an interesting read for you.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/inducedsupersedure.html

The few times I tried it in late Summer it worked most of the time. (the protected Queen cell method described by DC)

Not strictly in line with the OP but relared:Where bees are making swarm cells I sometimes remove the queen, destroy ALL the cells and "plant" a ripe queen cell from non-swarmy stock if I have it avaliable. You never know but it's been quite successful so far. By doing this and not using excluders I get a faction of the swarms I used to.

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

 

[Beefriendly]

Very interesting question Zante. From the little I know the answer is no. But if the possibility of inducing supercedure could be found it could be awesome. Perhaps others may have clues/answers

Might be worth considering raising new queens via Snelgrove? Demaree? Or Demaree with Snelgrove type board.

 

[drex]

Cloaks board is said to mainly involve supercedure impulse. Is my preferred method anyway

 

[DanBee]

This might be an interesting read for you.

http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/inducedsupersedure.html

The few times I tried it in late Summer it worked most of the time. (the protected Queen cell method described by DC)

My father was part of the early DARG group that DC referred to - although I think it was more like 1982 than 1992. They actually concluded that the metal protecters were counterproductive, with an unusual number of QC failures to emerge within.

By far the easiest solution they found was to wrap the sides of a ripe queen cell with sellotape, leaving enough space at the tip that the queen could emerge. The sellotape prevented the side of the cell from being torn down.

 

[Millet]

What about cutting one of the Queens back legs of or one of the mandibles..

 

[For want of a better word]

What about cutting one of the Queens back legs of or one of the mandibles..

Or just crush her thorax in one of those awful butterfly clip queen catchers???

Has worked for me!!!

 

[DanBee]

What about cutting one of the Queens back legs of or one of the mandibles..

Partial or complete amputation of mandible, foreleg, or antenna were discussed by DARG but considered too cruel a technique.

Came across a case of supersedure yesterday whilst running a course in the home apiary. Young unclipped queen seen laying just after an old clipped queen with plump abdomen had been seen.

Peculiar timing but not unknown after a poor summer. And they're not the wonder race either - just Buckfast-ish stocks.

 

[Millet]

Q

Partial or complete amputation of mandible, foreleg, or antenna were discussed by DARG but considered too cruel a technique.

Came across a case of supersedure yesterday whilst running a course in the home apiary. Young unclipped queen seen laying just after an old clipped queen with plump abdomen had been seen.

Peculiar timing but not unknown after a poor summer. And they're not the wonder race either - just Buckfast-ish stocks.

I was only messing Dan, i would never do such a thing that i mentioned...better to freeze the queen and let them build a new Queen from eggs/young larvae..or buy new Queen's in.
On the summer.. it is not poor here quite the opposite.. not many Swallows though for some reason.. ? .

 

[Beefriendly]

Partial or complete amputation of mandible, .

Used by some Chinese beekeepers (and probably other nationalities) to run multi-queen colonies without any excluders.
Not my cup of tea.