Swarm Prevention

[john w]

A few local beekeepers and I have been experimenting with checkerboarding over the last two years. This is based on the concept documented by the late Walter Wright on Beesource – it is freely available.

The technique involves taking a box of winter stores in say December and another box of the same size frames and spreading this box of stores and frames across two boxes alternating stores/drawn empty comb/stores/empty drawn comb etc.

If done early enough (Wright recommended 9 weeks before peak swarm season) the bees will not swarm. This was our main objective. We did this in 5 colonies. They ended up being huge. As a by product we had large honey yields and queen supersedure.

The three key elements are: the checkerboarding needs to be done early, the brood allowed to expand without constraint and the top box must be empty (with frames) to change the bees perception of the top of the colony and allow for incoming nectar.

If these three factors are observed there is no need for weekly or monthly inspections (unless you wish to of course). We have done this. First time in 10 years I have not had a swarm. Likewise my colleagues.

There are trade offs – you end up with a very big colony, need a firm base, going through the colonies (which we did to record what is happening) took time and effort, but as Walter Wright said – this can be effectively considered low intervention beekeeping with the confidence that the bees will not swarm.

john

 

[drex]

My bees have also not swarmed this year for the first time in ten years. No checker boarding. I read the article in recent BBKA news and was not impressed

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

A few local beekeepers and I have been experimenting with checkerboarding over the last two years. This is based on the concept documented by the late Walter Wright on Beesource – it is freely available.

The technique involves taking a box of winter stores in say December and another box of the same size frames and spreading this box of stores and frames across two boxes alternating stores/drawn empty comb/stores/empty drawn comb etc.

If done early enough (Wright recommended 9 weeks before peak swarm season) the bees will not swarm. This was our main objective. We did this in 5 colonies. They ended up being huge. As a by product we had large honey yields and queen supersedure.

The three key elements are: the checkerboarding needs to be done early, the brood allowed to expand without constraint and the top box must be empty (with frames) to change the bees perception of the top of the colony and allow for incoming nectar.

If these three factors are observed there is no need for weekly or monthly inspections (unless you wish to of course). We have done this. First time in 10 years I have not had a swarm. Likewise my colleagues.

There are trade offs – you end up with a very big colony, need a firm base, going through the colonies (which we did to record what is happening) took time and effort, but as Walter Wright said – this can be effectively considered low intervention beekeeping with the confidence that the bees will not swarm.

john

Nice one. This was just another thing I left too late because of work constraints leading up to furloughing.
I intend to try this next season along with opening up the broodnest as recommended by Michael Bush.
Cheers,

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It may work in the steady climate/long summer weather you get in the USA doubt it will work constantly over here, just one season's 'success' is no measure of effectiveness.
If it was that good a system, why are many more (especially commercial beekeepers) not using it.

I read the article in recent BBKA news

That's one point against it anyway

 

[The Poot in Somerset]

Worth experimenting with on a couple of colonies I think.

 

[Murox]

Just a couple of observations ~ would'nt the same be achieved with timely box reversal of double brood so the brood can expand without constraint? Or if you use 8 over 8 configuration simply adding some more frames and/or reversal? Or even the use of deeper narrower frames? changing the bees perception of the top of the colony and allow for incoming nectar.

You need to be able to reliably predict peak swarm season for your locale – could be problematic ?

A bigger workforce is great as long as there is enough forage available for then to take advantage of and also the “explosion” in the population of workers needs to coincide with the flow for maximum benefit.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Worth experimenting with on a couple of colonies I think.

nah

 

[Erichalfbee]

I usually Demaree a couple of colonies and keep it rolling. That works for me.
I read the article too. The constraints would be a long enough period of clement weather which is not often achieved in these sceptered isles.

 

[drex]

Like Murox I favour reversal of brood boxes and may do it a couple of times in a year. That makes more sense than checkerboard.

 

[bingevader]

I usually Demaree a couple of colonies and keep it rolling. That works for me.
I read the article too. The constraints would be a long enough period of clement weather which is not often achieved in these sceptic isles.

Sorry, couldn't resist it! Not directed at you though!
I might be over simplifying, but surely laying/storage space is but one factor in a colony's urge to swarm?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I might be over simplifying, but surely laying/storage space is but one factor in a colony's urge to swarm?

yes, but Demarree isn't just giving them more space it's separating the queen from the brood whilst still maintaining colony numbers, also, if you'roll' the Demarree you get very powerful colonies (apart from this year )

 

[Swarm]

Including this year

 

[Curly green finger's]

Like Murox I favour reversal of brood boxes and may do it a couple of times in a year. That makes more sense than checkerboard.

I also agree, with both Murox and drex why mess about with all that when the same can be achieved in an easier way.
I to like my box reversals even have had a few this year on a three box system.

 

[janetbee]

A few local beekeepers and I have been experimenting with checkerboarding over the last two years. This is based on the concept documented by the late Walter Wright on Beesource – it is freely available.

The technique involves taking a box of winter stores in say December and another box of the same size frames and spreading this box of stores and frames across two boxes alternating stores/drawn empty comb/stores/empty drawn comb etc.

If done early enough (Wright recommended 9 weeks before peak swarm season) the bees will not swarm. This was our main objective. We did this in 5 colonies. They ended up being huge. As a by product we had large honey yields and queen supersedure.

The three key elements are: the checkerboarding needs to be done early, the brood allowed to expand without constraint and the top box must be empty (with frames) to change the bees perception of the top of the colony and allow for incoming nectar.

If these three factors are observed there is no need for weekly or monthly inspections (unless you wish to of course). We have done this. First time in 10 years I have not had a swarm. Likewise my colleagues.

There are trade offs – you end up with a very big colony, need a firm base, going through the colonies (which we did to record what is happening) took time and effort, but as Walter Wright said – this can be effectively considered low intervention beekeeping with the confidence that the bees will not swarm.

john

I find this interesting. I read the article and thought I might experiment next year. You mentioned December? Did that mean it was set up in December? 9 weeks before the peak swarming season would seem to be somewhere in February to me. When was the chequer board set up?
I like an experiment but I am not sure that I would be brave enough not to inspect the brood box. Depends where the bees are kept I suppose as to whether a swarm causes a problem with neighbours or not.

 

[StephenT]

Like Murox I favour reversal of brood boxes and may do it a couple of times in a year. That makes more sense than checkerboard.

Is that on double brood if the bottom box is relatively empty and you want to get the bees to use it for brood?

 

[drex]

Is that on double brood if the bottom box is relatively empty and you want to get the bees to use it for brood?

I use double brood on most of my hives all year round. As long as you have two boxes of any size under the qx ( eg brood and a half) you can do it. Particularly useful in early spring when the brood nest is in the middle of hive spanning both boxes, when I put bottom box on top, so that there is brood right up under the qx. Queen soon makes the brood contiguous and continues to lay down. That way I get a big brood nest.
I did two reversals this year on most colonies and had no attempts to swarm.

 

[Speybee]

Like Murox I favour reversal of brood boxes and may do it a couple of times in a year. That makes more sense than checkerboard.

I did this with one and a half brood nest National whilst at the OSR as they were expanding at a rate of noughts just as the OSR was seeding.
But this hive then earned the dubious crown of becoming my ‘Swarmy hive’, the only one that produced one Prime swarm, One cast both hived and a third cast that absconded and the remaining ‘swarmy hive’ has given me nothing but head scratching.

In mid July I requeened ‘swarmy hive’ with a caged mated queen who turned out to be a drone layer.
And last week dobbed in this dud queen as ‘ swarmy hive’ had been (unbeknown to me) become a magnet for robbers.

Finally the replacement queen that arrived last week has been placed in a Nuc with a couple frames deep brood and nurse bees from another hive and next week I will find out what has happened but have lost a hive now.

What I have observed from this, is that despite my best attempts at manipulations to prevent swarming, which seemed to give desired result....... as soon as they get the chance they were “off” into the wide blue yonder, maybe weeks later.
I ended up with a ‘swarmed out’ hive and it seems to me now, that if they make up their mind to go, they will and that I am a worse beekeeper that I thought I was

 

[StephenT]

I use double brood on most of my hives all year round. As long as you have two boxes of any size under the qx ( eg brood and a half) you can do it. Particularly useful in early spring when the brood nest is in the middle of hive spanning both boxes, when I put bottom box on top, so that there is brood right up under the qx. Queen soon makes the brood contiguous and continues to lay down. That way I get a big brood nest.
I did two reversals this year on most colonies and had no attempts to swarm.

Cheers. I guess that’s the same as what I did on my brood and a half in spring following the method in one of Wally Shaw’s articles. Plan to utilise double brood on the other two hives next year if need be and so will bear this method in mind throughout spring and summer.

 

[madasafish]

I requeen swarmy hives. One out of 7 swarmed this year..
Apart from giving space, I do nothing.. Except requeen every second year (some superscede but don't swarm)

 

[fiat500bee]

I requeen swarmy hives. One out of 7 swarmed this year..
Apart from giving space, I do nothing.. Except requeen every second year (some superscede but don't swarm)

I think that's like killing your cockerel and getting a new one because one of the eggs hatched.