><My theory on swarming hinges on the loss of condition of the queen due to
>her exertions as her laying rate peaks.  I reckon she suffers a fall off in
>the production of the queen substances, which fall below a 'yet to be
>established critical' thus initiating queen cell building. 

Here is an example of a little bit of science mixed with a lot of
imagination. To attribute swarming behavior to the lessening of "queen
substance" without having a way of measuring such a substance, is pure
speculation. Besides, a five frame nuc will swarm once it is packed with
bees. Swarming has more to do with congestion than anything else. 

By getting the bees up in the supers, or otherwise taking excess bees out of
the brood nest, congestion is reduced and the urge to swarm is suppressed.
C.C. Miller noted that hives with first year queens are less apt to swarm,
even when crowded, so he advocated requeening in spring to prevent his comb
honey hives from swarming.

My own theory, since we are into speculation mode, is that all hives want to
swarm but they wait for the right conditions. Swarming is an expression of
the urge to multiply colonies. The right conditions would be plenty of
pollen and nectar coming in, and an "apparent" surplus of bees, given the
size of the nest. 


pb

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