a question followed > by my response....
So, do commercial beekeepers try to prevent swarms like hobby beekeepers?


>
The first thing I would suggest is the question is posed improperly.  That is anyone that thinks they can prevent swarming is obviously a neophyte.  On the other hand if you had ask do commercial folks try to limit swarming then the obvious answer is yes. 

As Mr Linder suggest this can be done in various ways but the same means are just as available to the hobby beekeeper as to the commercial beekeeper.  Adding space at the right time, shaking packages or making up nucs are things all beekeepers can do to limit swarming.  I have never witness a commercial operation that knocked down queen cells... but anyone that thinks about going down that road needs to think about the futility of that kind of remedial action. I have never seen a commercial operation take the time to hunt down a queen in a hive preparing to swarm just to save the old queen and two or three pounds of bees. 

On the other hand some of us never feel closer to god than when we stand in one of our out yards right in the middle of an issuing swarm.  Swarming is a good sign that 'your bees' are displaying the ultimate sign of being biologically successful.  If you wanted to 'prevent' your bees from swarming then keep them sick and knocked down the population anytime they get big enough to capture any surplus honey or to effectively pollinate a crop.   

No matter what you ultimate purpose or size whether you do or do not have something in your vehicle to capture the swarm is going to be a pretty random.

And a note... some commercial folks that are far away from their home base and who have no extracting facilities at some distant location may also take the same steps as those for swarm prevention to limit 'surplus' honey.  Some of course haul honey great distance to be extracted but at this time I am not certain this can be done in an effective or economical manner especially given the recent drop in the wholesale bulk price of honey.

Gene in central Texas  

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