Advice needed on dealing with 'swarmy' colonies

[Samurailord]

Hi all

I really struggled to stop my 3 colonies from swarming last year.

I was running on National Standard brood boxes but they very quickly ran out of space for HM to lay, mainly because the nectar coming in wasn't being moved up to the super but was filling every available cell in the brood box despite there being one or two part-filled supers above the excluder.

I was inspecting every seven to nine days but it was a very rare inspection when I didn't find at least one charged Queen cell in all three colonies (all from the same original Queen).

I tried moving to brood and a half, with the result that the half was completely filled with honey/nectar as the queen refused to cross the gap, just delaying the inevitable rush of Queen cells by less than a week.

We had three swarms during the year that I know of, possibly more, the last one being in the middle of September and I want to try and avoid the same situation next year.

The options I am looking at trying are:

1. Move a colony to 14x12 National Deeps to try and provide more laying room

2. Re-queen to make sure it wasn't my beekeeping that was at fault

3. Run without a QE and just keep adding more supers on top to keep ahead of HM (this is a suggestion from my Mentor).

As I have only had bees since mid 2014 my own knowledge is very limited so I would appreciate any advice you can give.

Thanks

 

[Cazza]

Re-queen and provide more room either noQE or deep or two BBS, whichever suits you.

Cazza

 

[Cazza]

My other thought is what did you do when you saw the queen cells?

Cazza

 

[REDWOOD]

A National BB is too small for a prolific queen, double brood. I would be very reluctant to requeen a prolific queen. Even a 14x12 BB can become laid out with good queens.

Other options are to split or make increases

 

[domino]

A National BB is too small for a prolific queen, double brood. I would be very reluctant to requeen a prolific queen. Even a 14x12 BB can become laid out with good queens.

Other options are to split or make increases

Double brood is a good shout. Although I would look at getting some less swarmy stock in if the probably carries on next year.

 

[Finman]

.
Most bee strains swarm even if how much you give room or even if you do not use excluder.


Only way is to requeen with such strain which is slow to swarm.

.

Then you inspect the hives every week. And if you see swarm cells, you make an artificial swarm. Cut wing of Queen is good. IT stops sudden escaping of swarm.

With splitting the colony you loose the yield.
.

 

[ellypatt]

Did you use any swarm control methods? I use double national brood boxes and do a pagden artificial swarm at first sign of queen cells. Can then either recombine or use for making increase, and is handy for brood comb replacement.

 

[REDWOOD]

If a hive is bursting at it's seems and it wants to swarm that's my fault but if they decide to swarm in a BB that is not bursting and the queen has ample room to lay then that's the bees fault.

 

[Finman]

If a hive is bursting at it's seems and it wants to swarm that's my fault but if they decide to swarm in a BB that is not bursting and the queen has ample room to lay then that's the bees fault.

IT is a wise idea, that the bees seek a bigger home.

 

[yeogi75]

well first thing, if you have a wooden stand about twelve inches tall cut six inches off the legs, then go to double brood box for next year, if you have tall stands you will be stretching with supers,if you get too many bees but wont move to upper brood take out some frame and put in upper box, but that's all for next year, your queen will be getting old soon and a new queen will start afresh and mabe move around the coombs better.

 

[Finman]

.
I have used 3 brood, and no excluder. IT has nothing to do with swarmy. Swarming is in genes.

 

[ellypatt]

Not enough space and swarming has nothing to do with genes either, so is worth considering.

 

[For want of a better word]

Bees will swarm if they think they do not have enough space.... it must be said that some bees seem to have a greater propensity to swarm than others... even within a subspecies!

Some beekeepers it seems will accept a swarmy nature in exchange for the possibility of a good honey harvest, and will pour unfounded critisism on other beekeepers bees and beekeeping methodology.

My stance is bee improvement by selecting the best bees for my locality... not importing someone else's stock, which may well be the best bee ever for their locality, but most unsuitable for my own.

Experiment with stock types and hive sizes and types... buy locally from a beekeeper who is breeding good bees.... most associations have one!

Enjoy

Yeghes da

 

[oliver90owner]

-was a very rare inspection when I didn't find at least one charged Queen cell in all three colonies-

This disturbs me. 'At least one' is not exactly explicit regarding the actual number. Was it one or two, for instance?

If it was, then they were likely trying to supercede, not swarm. Your interference likely thwarted their natural attempt at queen replacement and eventually they likely changed plan and produced multiple queen cells. With two supers and such a small brood area, your queens do not appear to be particularly prolific!

 

[Finman]

Not enough space and swarming has nothing to do with genes either, so is worth considering.

IT is another thing, and it is beekeepers fault if he does not inspect his hives.. If a colony has not enough room, every colony swarms at once, even non swarmy. It leaves only eggs into Queen cells and go.

You get a swarm to swarm if you do not care them properly.
Swarming is bees' habit to reproduce, and that is why they do such.
.

 

[Stiffy]

If a hive is bursting at it's seems and it wants to swarm that's my fault but if they decide to swarm in a BB that is not bursting and the queen has ample room to lay then that's the bees fault.

I have colonies that would be off if I didn't provide more laying space, others seem quite happy with a single brood box.
I would give more room for the queen to lay, if they tried to swarm more than once after that, re-queen
S

 

[thorn]

I had a problem with swarmy bees. I thought it was down to my bad beekeeping. Then I bought a new colony. That summer the old hives continued to swarm, while the new lot got on with bringing in stores. Since then I've requeened the swarmy colonies with queen cells from the new one, and the problem has disappeared.
I'm still a bad beekeeper, though.

 

[For want of a better word]

I had a problem with swarmy bees. I thought it was down to my bad beekeeping. Then I bought a new colony. That summer the old hives continued to swarm, while the new lot got on with bringing in stores. Since then I've requeened the swarmy colonies with queen cells from the new one, and the problem has disappeared.
I'm still a bad beekeeper, though.

Join the club!

Yeghes da

 

[Cussword]

Join the club!

Yeghes da

I read the book

 

[For want of a better word]

I read the book

Strickley beekeepering?

Yeghes da