>
> Every area is different,  but after that first burst,  most hives will 
> settle into a stable phase. This is where we get honey producers.
>
> Overall, quite a bit of worthwhile information there. Thanks for sharing.

In your experience, if you push a colony into that first burst phase (as you put it) earlier than nature would have provided for it naturally, will they still settle into a stable phase when they normally would have swarmed, or do they continue to stay in a burst phase?

I was hopeing someone else would respond,  as I have to say,  I don't know.  I haven’t even thought about that question before, but it’s a good one.

If we look at the GA package bee model that may be our best example.   They start feeding in Feb for March packages.  Typicaly mid march those hives are flat bursting.  A normal first round shake will be 3 packages a hive with some going 4, from a 1 1/2 with of course enough bees left to rebound.  The second round will be 2/3 weeks down the road,  and 1 1/2 to 2 per hive,  and by round 3  things have slowed down to 1 or less.  
So it seems they settle into that phase on their own,  but no clue as to what triggers it,  or why.  


Would be interesting to learn how to prolong or delay it on purpose!

Since I try to treat all hives the same,  I am not sure if the stableing out phase is driven by weather or management, genetics,  queen age,  or temps.... lots in play.  I do know it happens,   ours here are now doing that,  brood levels are dropping, we can start running singles with 3/4 supers without worrying as much about swarms.


Charles

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