Swarms vs. honey

[watercarving]

Last 2 years in GA have been the worst honey years. These have been my first two years of beekeeping as well. I started with 2 hives and begin year 3 with 3 hives from a swarm I captured. I captured 2 others. Gave one away and the other was too small.

Now...I want some honey. I enjoy beekeeping but I'm not going to do this forever if I don't ever get any honey. I'm worried if I let them swarm that I'll be honeyless again. Also, with three hives there's no where to put the swarms.

Do I let them swarm or try to stop them? If it's a good honey year will I still have honey if they swarm? What type split do I do to stop swarms?

Thanks,

[Finski]

With splitting you loose the yield too.


First, cut the wing tip from queen. It prevents sudden swarm to escape.

2)  Give room to the colony as soon as it grows. Give some foundations to draw.

3) Check every week during swarm season if there is queen cells and egg of larva inside.
Queen cell cups means nothing.

4) If you see queen cells, make a false swarm. Put the false swarm onto foundations and  bees think that they have swarmed.

5) when honeyflow begins, join the the brood hive and false swarm.

The most important: try to find such queens which stock is not eager to swarm.
Try from professional breeder.
If you take queens from swarm they are quite sure to swarm next summer.

.....Swarm prevention is difficult but necessary.

[Kathyp]

If you take queens from swarm they are quite sure to swarm next summer.

do you think this might depend on where the swarm came from?  some of the best hives i have now came from swarms from true survivor hives.  the best two, from tree hives.  one of them seems to make a lot of queen cells and i know they have changed queens, but to my knowledge, they have never swarmed.  i have used those cells to requeen other hives.  i have yet to figure out why they do it.

[doak]

I am not very far South of you so here goes.
Next week, the first day we have with temps 60 or above, check your colonies.
Did they winter over in a single box or 2 boxes?
First look for "signs" of the queen. Start on one side taking the frames out. Most times the outside frame will have very little if anything, except comb, maybe some stored honey.
Take it, the outside frame and sit it on the ground on end. This will give you room to move the next frame over a little before taking it out. ( this gives extra room so you don't roll the bees against the frame next to it)If it doesn't have much on it you can also sit it on the ground next to the first one. Now break the rest of the frames loose one by one and lift them up eye level keeping them over the open hive box. Inspect, as soon as you find brood if you are satisfied then replace the frames in order they were removed. Close the hive.

If you are determined to find the queen, just remember, The longer you keep the hive open the more the bees will be disturbed and the bigger chance there is if "chilling" the brood.
If you wintered in a single hive body and you have bees on 6 or more frames, I would add the second brood chamber.
If you wintered in 2 hive bodies It is now time for you to decide if you wish to flip-flop the boxes.
I do only when all the brood nest is completely in the top box. Some will say it isn't necessary. Maybe not, but it does work for me.

In any event, what ever you do, make sure you give plenty expanding room for a fast growing colony. You have to stay ahead of things. This is one time you cannot play "catch-up".

Now look at your calendar. Today is March 14, correct?
Count to 20th of April. Yours will be a few days behind mine but the Tulip Poplar will be approaching  full bloom around the 20th of April.

I like to have a double deep colony  busting at this time. I can add two medium supers and if the queen goes up I still have the extra super for honey.

After you add the two supers check the progress after 5 to 7 days. That should give you some idea of how fast they will fill those supers.

On a 3 deep colony if I add only one super it will be capped in 5 to 7 days. During the Tulip Poplar bloom time you have to stay on top of it. Poplar produces nector by the load.
Then your black berries will come, then more.

Hope this helps.
Any questions just ask. :)doak

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesswarmcontrol.htm

[Highlandsfreedom]

I got to say Michael you have a GREAT website....... Thanks for sharing.

[DBoire]

When Mike talks ..  listen.
When grandmaDog talks.. listen
Walt.. well Walt doesn't talk.. anyhow.. listen 8-)

Checkerboarding is a technique from Walt Wright that involves interspersing drawn and capped honey OVER the brood nest.

google: "walt wright checkerboarding" and you will find the information you are looking for.

[watercarving]

Thanks for the advice, everyone.

Michael, I've ready your site a good bit. I always appreciate your advice. I just have a lot to learn from experience and I guess I'm getting worried that it takes too long. In 10 years I'll know a lot more and it will be more natural. I guess I just want to know EXACTLY what I need to do right now and no one can every know that. Dang learning process.....

Thanks again,

[buzzbee]

There is a forum link to Walts stuff here:
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,4205.0.html
Check the top of this page too:
http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/board,56.0.html