swarming

[T.Smith]

Hello, I live in north Louisiana and started some hives last year. They had just gotten full enough to add a second deep brood box and were full of bees. I had been feeding heavy. Any way, I had a couple hives to swarm but was left with a good many bees and brood. I was able to hive the swarms but am wondering if the parent hives will recoup and produce honey this year. Thanks

[Brian D. Bray]

Recouping from swarming is what bees do.  The hives should produce a surplus this year.

If you manage your hive to reduce swarming tendencies by adding supers using the 7-3 or 8-2 rule and keep the brood chamber open by pulling honey frames adjacent to the brood frames and replacing them with empty frames so the bees must continually rebuild comb in or close to the brood area you can prevent most hives from swarming 2 out of 3 years.  the 7-3 (8-2) rule is when 7 of 10 frames are drawn out and mostly filled with nectar add another super. 

Bess busy building comb, especially near the brood combs, will seldom swarm.  Keep them busy and give them room to grow.