Swarming Beard Question

[Brian MCquilkin]

Wow, I'm going to stop worrying about my hives bearding now. They don't even come close to comparing to that!   

I still get concerned when I see bearding, had one today could not see the queen on the outside. Checked it out and no queen cells or cups with eggs.
Destroyed all the empty cups just in case.

[Ben Framed]

Wow, I'm going to stop worrying about my hives bearding now. They don't even come close to comparing to that!   

I still get concerned when I see bearding, had one today could not see the queen on the outside. Checked it out and no queen cells or cups with eggs.
Destroyed all the empty cups just in case.

I understand you concern Mr. MCquilkin. Since I started this topic, I remembered something I heard Tim Durham say once in one of his videos. He suggested leaving a crack on the top of the hive in between the top and top super. I can't remember exactly the measurement he recommended but I did this by guess lol. I am happy to report, even the most bearded hive I have, has reduced bearding a considerable amount since I opened the top for more ventilation. I used what was handy for shimming the tops. Small flat rocks around a quarter inch thick. My concern now is I hope I have not made it easier for SHB.....

Adding: I just started a new topic concerning SHB and wedging titled: "Heat Relief: Screen under your hive tops?"

[Michael Bush]

>Destroyed all the empty cups just in case.

Queen cups mean nothing--absolutely nothing.  No point wasting time destroying them.  Queen cells mean something (a cup with a larva in it) but still probably don't require intervention unless you think they are genuinely swarming and not superseding or in an emergency.  If they are building up rapidly and there are queen cells and they tend to be all different ages, then I would split.