We find that some bees are far more prone to swarming that others. If you make splits by propagating these 'swarmy' bees, you are promoting this negative trait. You want to start your beekeeping journey with bees that are bred for their resistance to swarming. All our queens and nucs are bred specifically to reduce their swarming instinct.
Swarming bees create swarmy bees. Start with the best genetics you can.
Regular inspections is the only way to identify when a colony is about to swarm. It doesn't stop the colony from swarming but it gives you crucial information about what the bees are planning to do next. You should inspect EVERY 7 days from April to September in the UK, throughout the active beekeeping season. If you find swarm cells you can take action.
1. REGULAR INSPECTIONS
The easiest way to stop your bees swarming is to make proactive splits. This method of artificial swarming makes the bees think they have already swarmed and heavily reduces their impulse to swarm. You can follow our video on MAKING HORIZONTAL SPLITS or check out THIS PAGE for detailed instructions on how to split your beehive.
2. HORIZONTAL SPLITS
This is our favourite swarm management technique and it can be carried out numerous times within the season. The Demaree method involves lifting the brood area to the top of the stack of boxes and replacing the brood box with frames of foundation and the original queen. Check out our video for detailed instructions on how to perform a Demaree split
3. VERTICAL SPLITS
If colonies of bees do not have sufficient space, they WILL swarm. However, giving them sufficient space is only a small part of a swarm management strategy. You should aim to ensure the bees always have at least one empty box of frames above them at all times, with the only exception being, the last few weeks of the beekeeping season.
4. GIVE THEM SPACE
Keeping bees busy by adding fresh foundation is an excellent swarm management technique. It's not a fool proof method and should be used in conjunction with other techniques. The process of drawing wax seems to keep the bees occupied on expanding the existing colony as opposed to swarming and trying to find somewhere new to live!
5. KEEP THEM BUSY
Making Splits from Queen Cells is EASY - Check out our video on how to do it HERE. But it comes with its own risks. Swarming is a genetic trait that all bees possess. However, some bees do seem to have a propensity to swarm more than others. By making splits with colonies that are proven to swarm regularly, you are propagating this negative trait.
6. DON'T BREED FROM THEM
My favourite technique to stop your bees from swarming is a vertical swarm management technique, called a Demaree. The Demaree technique involves creating space between the emerging brood and the queen, which results in the colony believing it has already swarmed. This means you keep all the of the bees under a single roof saving equipment and making loads of honey!
How to stop your colony of bees from swarming.
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