Some comments were made about good management and swarm prevention.  I'd
like to post a few questions regarding this subject.
 
   I have been told year after year to reverse the brood chambers every 7 to
10 days.  This, I am told prevents congestion in the hive.  However, I have
read that some believe this does nothing more than disrupt the bees.  What
do you all think?  What are other more effective alternatives that you have
had success with?
 
   I have also noted that some people here are convinced that cutting queen
cells is useless since the bees already have it in mind to swarm and nothing
will stop them.  If this is true, then how effective is it to cut swarm
cells?  Is it even worth doing?  Does anyone have success with cutting swarm
cells and preventing swarms?
 
   Despite the fact that I was not physically able to tend to my hives over
a two week period during swarm season I think that either I averted the
swarm impulse or otherwise the bees had no intentions of swarming, but only
planned to supercede their queen.  Under normal circumstances, I make it a
point to get out to the hives at least once per week during swarm season.
Not all of us are fortunate to have someone else do it for us.  My husband
has nothing to do with my bees other than to eat the honey they produce.  I
hold no grudge because of this.  Some people just don't want to deal with
bees.  I'd rather not have someone out in my hives who doesn't want to be there.
 
   As to what may have happened in one of my hives, do you think my bees
were more likely to be superceding their queen or did they really have the
impulse to swarm?  I thought there was a way to tell by the location of the
queen cells - if the cells are in the center of the frames, it is a
supercedure, if the cells are on the bottom of the frames, then it is a
swarm impulse.
 
Laura
Anne Arundel Co., Maryland
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