Author Topic: Understanding the Swarming Process  (Read 2738 times)

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Offline apisbees

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Understanding the Swarming Process
« on: April 20, 2014, 10:35:14 pm »
Understanding the Swarming Process .

Let’s keep in mind that Bees in nature are programmed to create new colonies and gather enough stores to survive the winter and dearth times of the year It is helpful in understand the process of swarming and the way the bees are created to reproduce and make new colonies. Swarming is a natural preprogrammed part of the yearly life cycle of the hive. We, as beekeeper, want to manipulate the hives to have stronger colonies which will collect larger surplus crops of honey that can be harvested. We do this by stopping the bees from swarming. In this IWF Documentary about a Heather Skep Apiary in Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony, they take you through a year of Skep hive beekeeping. They use swarms as a way of making new colonies like we use packages. Then using swarm control to facilitate getting a honey crop. Their honey source is from the Heather plants that cannot be extracted with normal extractors so the combs needs to be crushed and pressed to get the honey.  Video sections 3 & 4 deal with how bees swarm and the difference between prime and cast swarms.

In nature all hives will swarm every year so every hive will have the queen replaced every year. Bees tend to start swarming during the slow down in nectar gathering between spring pollination and the onset of the main honey crop. Keep your bees busy buy giving them space in the brood chamber to raise more brood. A young queen that is capable of laying large amounts of brood that the hive has to take care of. Add extra honey supers so the emerging bees don’t over populate the hive.

Here are links to videos on Skep beekeeping, that is close to how bees behave in nature. With out having to cut open a tree or rip open a wall to get to the honey. I hope these helps members in understanding the swarming process.


Heathland Beekeeping - 2 - Preparations for the Swarming Period in a Heather Skep Apiary


Heathland Beekeeping - 3 - Work in a Heather Skep Apiary during the Prime Swarming Period


Heathland Beekeeping - 4 - Work in a Heather Skep Apiary during the Cast Swarming Period




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Offline LazyBkpr

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Re: Understanding the Swarming Process
« Reply #1 on: April 21, 2014, 11:28:51 pm »
queen cells abound in those skeps.. I have to say that is a pretty interesting way of catching swarms. No ladder required, but I am afraid I would fall asleep and wake up with a Robo style bee beard.
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