D. Murrell wrote:


>Most anti-swarming management practices actually produce some kind of
>imbalance or interference which hinders a colonies development and reduces
>the swarming propensity.

Years ago, when I was a green young beginner, I went to work for an old
timer who had quite a few hives. One of my first questions to him was "How
do you control swarming?" He chuckled a bit, and said, "We don't control it
at all."

I thought that was odd at the time, and couldn't figure him out. But then I
learned: the best and easiest way to keep bees from swarming is to put on a
lot of comb. That's what he did, super 'em up. If they can get on with honey
storage, it may not come into their heads to swarm.

Of course, that was in Southern California, where the season is long and not
so intense as it is in the North. I would say, it is much easier to keep
bees from swarming there, than it is in the North. 

To cut down on swarming in the North, I would always pull brood in May. You
probably need it to make splits, or you can add it to weak ones, if you are
sure of not spreading disease around.

You can pull a lot of brood and/or bees out of hive without hurting it, if
you do it right. When I worked in the package industry I learned that a
colony can produce almost twice as many bees in the spring if you take them
away gradually (not all at once).

It's like giving blood. A healthy person can spare quite a lot, if it isn't
taken all at once. 

Another neat plan is to move the brood on top of the hive. It's like making
a split but they get to keep the bees. You have to make sure they don't
re-queen themselves up there, though. 

None of these swarm control measures is unnatural or will hurt the hives.
Making a split is no different than what the bees do, only it's done
according to the beekeeper's plan and not on some sunny spring afternoon
when you're somewhere else. 

pb

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