Swarm Question

[YpsiBee2015]

This may sound silly, but if your hive swarms, does that mean your hive is totally shot? Or do some bees and the old queen stay, just without the majority of the hive? I'm just so worried that my hive would swarm and I'd be out the money for the bees and the one hive I have this season.

Does any of that make sense?

[marktrl]

The old queen and about or up to half the bees leave and you get a smaller hive with a new queen.

[OldMech]

The old queen and about or up to half the bees leave and you get a smaller hive with a new queen.

   Yep..  they usually dont swarm before the "new" queen cells are capped. The old queen leaves with 50 to 60% of the bees. The new queens emerge, fight etc..  Hopefully no after swarms.. the new queen gets mated and starts laying to rebuild numbers for winter..
   Usually means less if any honey for you, but the hive is not shot by any definition.

[mikecva]

The bees that swarm are the older bees (and the old queen) leaving the nursing bees and about 10% of the foragers. The nursing bees bill soon become foragers as the newest bees emerge.  And a good day for all.  -Mike