Rank: Administration
Groups: Administration
, Member, Moderators
Joined: 8/10/2008
Posts: 60
Points: 149
Location: Meridian, Idaho
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Greetings everyone:
I started this topic as a place to discuss the various methods and techniques of managing the bee's inate need to swarm. Please post your questions about, and your favored methods of controlling and managing swarm behavior in your colonies.
I will start another topic we will use for swarm capture and management, feral colony capture, etc.
Here's looking to a great spring season!
Ken
Ken Price
Forum Admin
Ride Hard, Shoot Straight, and Always Speak the Truth
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Rank: Field Bee
Groups: Member
Joined: 8/18/2008
Posts: 33
Points: 8
Location: Boise
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I typically go through the hive every 7-9 days looking for swarm cells. It doesn't fix the 'need' to swarm but does deter them. It is a lot of work but also allows you to come up the learning curve quickly. The danger is killing the queen so you have to develop good technique. I would also suggest keeping a log of what you did and saw within the hive, find queen? lots of brood? honey stores? odd behavior? etc. It allows you to monitor progress over the course of the year (and year to year) and remember what and when you saw the queen last. Obviously it may not be feasible for a keeper like Nic to do it but if i get to his proficency i probably won't need to keep a log.
Love to hear other non-invasive ways to monitor hive status and control swarm issues.
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Rank: Field Bee
Groups: Member
Joined: 8/23/2008
Posts: 40
Points: 113
Location: Boise, ID
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Hi, TV Beekeeps - Swarm Season Has Kicked Off!
Today, one of my colonies threw a swarm and 3 of 4 others were building queen cells. (Took an hour to hive the swarm as they were hung on a fence post over the side of the hill complete with a wire fence and some straggely, vine-type plant.) Anybody interested in avoiding swarms better get after their program sooner than later or you'll be seing your honey harvest hanging in a tree.
Good luck!
Steve
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