> Have you ever wondered who decides it is time to swarm, the queen, or the worker?

>That is, until I read this:

The description sighted was, it appears, from an observation hive and describes what I call a false swarm that I observe from time to time in my yards. The initiation of a swarm is not a decision that the bees or queen make but rather a reaction to some or some group of stimuli. The presence and age of queen cells, brood levels, queen weight and condition, pheromone levels, time of day, ambient conditions outside, seasonal conditions and probably many others. When all or enough are present and co-ordinated  a successful  swarm will issue and if all goes well a new colony will be established. In some percentages of cases things are not all lined up and it does not go as normal. There are any number of necessary conditions that can foul up the process if absent. To observe an abnormal event and then to attempt to extrapolate normal behavior from it is not likely to lead to advanced knowledge, IMHO.

Paul Hosticka
Dayton WA 

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