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Introduction to Beekeeping

Introduction to Beekeeping. Session 7 - Swarming Sat 5 th / Sun 6 th April 2013. Introductions. Bob Needs 26 years experience Bee migration Queen rearing Morphometry B.I.B.B.A. member. Reasons for swarming. Natural means of colony reproduction Colony too crowded Unbalanced colony

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Introduction to Beekeeping

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  1. Introduction to Beekeeping Session 7 - Swarming Sat 5th/Sun 6th April 2013

  2. Introductions • Bob Needs • 26 years experience • Bee migration • Queen rearing • Morphometry • B.I.B.B.A. member

  3. Reasons for swarming • Natural means of colony reproduction • Colony too crowded • Unbalanced colony • Queen getting old • Absconding

  4. Preparation for Swarming • A week before actual event • Eggs in Queen cells • Queen cells sealed • Old Queen ready to fly off • Prime Swarm

  5. Prime Swarm & Casts • Prime Swarm – half the workers • Casts – Virgin Queen plus progressively less workers • Viability of Casts ? • Viability of parent colony ?

  6. Impact of swarming Colony swarms Foragers lost from parent colony Main nectar flow

  7. Swarm Prevention • Regular Inspections - weekly • Young Queens < 2 years old • Room in brood space for Queen to lay • Room in super space for nectar to be stored • Know what to do when Queen cells are seen with eggs or larvae • Mark & clip Queen ensures any swarm returns to hive

  8. Mark and clip your Queens

  9. Effect on Swarm of Clipped Queen • Swarm is not lost • Workers return to hive • Queen may return to hive • Beekeeper must still take action

  10. Swarm Control • The Artificial Swarm • Many methods • Colony acts as if it has swarmed • Use of the Nucleus

  11. Swarm ControlBasic Principles – (1) • Colony made up of 3 parts: • Queen • Brood • Flying bees

  12. Swarm ControlBasic Principles – (2) • Swarm control involves separating one of the three parts from the other two: • Queen from Brood and Flying Bees • Brood from Queen and Flying Bees • Flying Bees from Queen and Brood

  13. Stage 1 – Day 1 Artificial Swarm Method Examine all frames Remove all sealed Q Cells Leave 2 open Q Cells containing a grub Super Original Stand Q B A Flying Bees New box B Find Queen on a frame Check for and destroy all Queen Cells Move frame with Queen on to BOX B Fill BOX B with drawn and foundation frames

  14. Stage 2 – Day 7 Artificial Swarm Method Q Cells now sealed Super Feeder Original Stand Q B A 0 0 Move BOX A to other side of BOX B New box B Examine all frames Remove all Q Cells

  15. Stage 3 – Day 14 Artificial Swarm Method First VQ to emerge attempts to kills other VQs Super Feeder Original Stand B After a further week check for Q Cells A Q Do not open BOX A For 3 weeks Flying Bees from both Boxes A & B Strengthen foraging force Virgin Q flies out to mate

  16. Swarm collection locations • Rest nearby • Trees, hedges, posts etc. • Scout bees look for home • Collective agreement • Fly off • Popular sites • Chimneys • Roof spaces • Compost buckets etc.

  17. Swarm Collection • Obtain appropriate insurance • Obtain permission from the landowner • Ensure the public are kept away from the swarm • Retrieve the queen and the rest will follow • Move the bees into a box • Invert the box near the swarm • Wait for all the bees to join the queen • Take away and re-hive the swarm

  18. Hiving a swarm • In front of hive • Directly into a box • Check for diseases • Feed after 2 days

  19. Difficult locations

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