On Wed, 15 May 1996, Allen Dick wrote:
 
>  > > >During the peak swarming season; you need to get into your hive
> > > >every 7-10 days to kill swarm cells.  This is the only way to
> > > >stop swarming and retain your large field forger work force so
> > > >that you can get a really large honey corp from your hive.  Two
> > > >weeks (i.e., 14 days) is too long to go between killing swarm
> > > >cells for a colony that is 'bent' on swarming.
>
> <etc.>
>
> Well, since no other commercial or extension person  has jumped in
> here, I take my life in my hands and point out that with over 2,000
> hives, no commercial producer *ever* cuts cells as a swarm control
> measure, or even inspects for them on more than a casual basis -- to
> my knowledge.
>
> How do the pros prevent swarming?
>
> Good management ahead of and during swarming season is the answer.
>
> Do they get swarms?
>
> Yes they do -- about the same number as those who cut cells.
 
 Hi Allen, I think this will get out to all?  You made a great point.When
I talk to hobby people and we get into how we check a hive , it takes
about 20 minutes. You take notes and do some learning in the
process.There  is no way you can spend the time to cut cells , you would
have to almost pull frames. The old tilt the hive body up and look at the
bottem of the frames wont work because you have the bottem board fixed to
the bottem box most of the time. This list is great , because you brought
out the real answer for everyone. Good management.That could be new
queens in the spring every year.It is more complex than just one answer.
You know what your looking at , in the early spring. Some years are worst
than others for swarming.
   The pro has a big job. Its more work than meets the eye.I know a few
people in California that run 2,000 plus hives and they have told me that
the fun is gone but they still love bees. You could write a book on good
management and miss it by a mile if you move to a different climate.The
more time you watch your hives and note the weather, and what the bees
are doing , the closser you will get to understanding your bees.This year
for me is a mess. We are breaking all kinds of records for rainfall up
here in Washington state.They even have a picture of a man with a
raincoat on , on the cover of Newsweek magazine this month , with Seattle
in big letters. I am way behind and have been feeding since I brought up
60 packages. 800 pounds of sugar so far. See this year , no problem with
swarming , just trying to get enough bees to make some surplus.
 Everyone has there own good management ideas. The books will tell you
somethings , but you will learn for yourself. Allen has his hands full
now with a late winter , so his normal time for feeding may be extended
unless he had some honey saved for this need. But still the bees will not
 bring in much honey during this may.
If you have just a few hives , you can still use the tools that the pros
use.The main thing is give the queen room to lay and keep down congestion
in the brood nest.Once the queen cells show up your behind, and you need to
open up  the hive and give them more room.I don't have a hive that I'm
worried about swarming right now or even this year. I will have one or
two swarm out of about 80. The brood area in the hives at home are in 3
deeps as a brood nest. I have brood in all three boxs and I rotate them
about every 10 days. I will not move these hives.
Good Management is the answer and Allen hit it right on the head.
 Best Regards
  Roy