I’ve had a number of calls regarding bees swarming. It’s spring and bees are are building their numbers and, if the conditions are right, they will want to reproduce and swarm.
There a number of actions a beekeeper can take to reduce the potential for swarming and these are based around:
- Having a good young queen
- Ensuring space in the brood box for the queen to lay and the storage of honey in the honey boxes
- Regularly checking the hive for overcrowding and/or queen cells and taking action if you find such conditions.
I find that on a warm sunny day after a few days of rain is when I get calls from people have lost half their bees to swarming or reporting swarms.
So be proactive. Get into your hive and reduce the potential for swarming.