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The Horsley Method of Swarm Control
Developed by Yorkshireman Arthur Horsley, the board which carries his name is commonly used to control bees about to swarm. Similar in principle to the snelgrove board, the horsley board is often favoured over the latter because of it’s simpler design and method of operation. Like all other swarm control boards, the horsley board allows the separation of queen from the eggs and brood whilst maintaining a single, vertical arrangement to the colony.
The Horsley Method
After studying the snelgrove board, Arthur Horsley considered it to be complex and not suitable for use in more distant out apiaries where the timings of the manipulations associated with snelgrove were deemed impractical. He went on to produce his modified board as a more simplified swarm control board that required fewer interventions than snelgrove.
This method involves the separation of the queen and flying bees from the eggs, brood
and nurse bees in two separate brood boxes within the same hive. It is primarily
aimed at controlling a colony that has begun swarm preparations, albeit it is possible
to use it pre-
The horsley board uses a hole covered by a square of queen excluder. This remains open for the first part of the process allowing all bees but the queen free access throughout the hive. An entrance in the side of the board is later opened. The entrance is attached to a metal sheet which closes off the patch of queen excluder as it is pulled open. At this stage the top box (with the brood and nurse bees) become separate from the queen and flying bees. A patch of mesh continues to allow the mingling of scent between the two sides of the divide.
Preparation
This method requires an additional brood box and a horsley board.
Keys to Success
The keys to the success of the horsley method are:
Method (for use once queen cells have begun to appear)
Day 1 |
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Day 3 or 4 |
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If the board is being used to pre- | |
What next? At this stage the colony has been artificially swarmed and the top, mother box with the brood has lost its flying bees. What happens now depends on how much increase the beekeeper wants to make. If only one queen cell has been left, this can be left for a few weeks until the queen has started laying. After this the top box can be relocated. If multiple queen cells have been left to develop to make up nuclei, these will need dealing with in the week following sealing of the cells (otherwise the newly emerging queens will either fight until only one is left or the top box may swarm). | |
This method is given as guidance only. After trying one or more key methods of swarm control, the beekeeper should go on to experiment and develop their own variations to suit their own preferences. |
Horsley board -
Horsley board -
Queen excluder