On Fri, 17 May 1996, David Eyre wrote:
 
> >>>        So.. subject to timing ie. how old the open brood or eggs are helps
> >>>to determine if and when that hive will swarm.
> >>>        If you don't find eggs, then you're probably too late. In that case,
> >>>make a false swarm and split, unless of course you want to give your bees to
> >>>a neighbour!!
> >
> >        Is it the presence of the eggs or the fact that the queen is still
> >laying? If it is the egss then as a stop gap measure could you place a
> >frame from another hive with eggs in order to delay things a bit?
> >
> Just goes to show!! That the bees don't read the same books as us. Someone
> said that he has seen a hive swarm leaving open brood, but I don't think
> that's the norm!!
>         I think the presence of eggs means the queen would be too big to
> fly, as one thing they do is too slim the queen down, before they leave.
 
  Hi David,Your completley right about the slim part , before the old
queen leaves with the swarm.Think about queen weight and egg production
in one day. I have read that a queen will lay her own weight in eggs in
one day.It looks possible sometimes in the spring and early summer.If she
would turn off the switch for egg laying , it should not take long to
drop in weight. I have seen larva in a hive that just swarmed and did not
think to much about it at the time.Some races swarm at a drop of a hat.
The old carni's were known for there swarming in the spring. I use to
count on splitting them in the spring. I had one hive in 1980 that was in
5 deep brood boxs. It was mean and I split it into 5 parts to find the
queen. You would lift the lid on that hive and the lights would go out.
The veil would be covered in a second. She was a egg layer.
 Best Regards
 Roy