Hive management

[Red Bee]

I'd like some advice on hive management please. This is my 1st full season as last year was a bit wet! My hives built up well in spring, started filling supers then wanted to swarm so i did some A/S's. Can anybody give me some tips to hold back the swarming impulse for example I've heard of checker boarding to fool the bees into thinking they have swarmed. What do people do? Also my bees keep filling the brood chamber up with honey, they have plenty of room in the supers, could this be due to the bees wanting to swarm & by filling the brood frames with honey stop the Q laying?

 

[Poly Hive]

I have to admit I had to look up chequer boarding, which is yet another American system. Seems to involve inserting alternate empty frames iwth but a starter strip in them in a 2nd brood box. Is this what you are refering to?

As for your hives. You say you A/S them and I am taking it that you have laying queens in the colonies you are discussing?

PH

 

[Red Bee]

Yep laying queens, normal hive activity. Over the season they have built up & wanted to swarm like bees do & apart from A/S just wondered if anybody used any different techniques to control the swarm impulse.

 

[Poly Hive]

I certainly would not use checker boarding. We don't have the strength of colony they do in the States.

Standard practice is to A/S and then unite for winter.

PH

 

[Red Bee]

Ok thanks, any theory on the honey in the brood chamber? Is that what the bees do to stop the queen laying so she thins down for swarm flight?