Have the swarms stopped?

[Ron Young]

have the swarms stopped for the year??

looks like the honey flow is about over, what are others seeing?

[Wally]

The poplar is still blooming, the privet is just getting going, I haven't seen any clover yet. The sourwood hasn't started yet. I think the flow will last through June.

The swarms are still happening.

[Kurt Bower]

A couple of mine are wanting to swarm right now, but I won't let them!

[ski]

Kurt,
You won't let them swarm?

How do you know they want to swarm?
Overcrowding, large beards, queen cells on bottom of frames?

How are you restraining them?
Removing queen cells, queen includer (excluder) clipping queens wings, keeping the brood nest open, posting no swarming signs?
Ski

[Kurt Bower]

The only real way to tell if they are going to swarm is to look for swarm cells. Since these appear on the bottom of the frames it takes no more than a minute to tip the boxes back and take a quick peak.
Queen cups are acceptable but if you have an egg in one, it is inevitable that you will have a swarm in the next 10 or so days.
I try not to cut cells unless I am in the middle of the honey flow.
If I note a swarm cell prior to the flow I make a split in such a way as to insure no swarming (95% of the time)

Kurt

[Ron Young]

I plan to check my hives this week. I have one that has swarmed several times, resulting in no brood to cover or tend too during the peak of the honey flow. The result was a fair field force which has lead to the second deep being full of honey, with some pollen. The question is, do I rob part of it, or leave it? (this hive is queen right now, with developing brood and eggs in the bottom deep.)

[Wally]

Rob it.

[Kurt Bower]

I think the real question is can you take the honey?
Depending on your beekeeping practices you may or may not be able to take it for consumption.
If this is pre-existing brood comb you may be dealing with contamination.
Have you ever fed the bees sugar syrup?
Treated with Terramycin?
Treated with Fumidil B?
Check-mite?
Apistan?
ApiGuard?
Api-life Var?
Anyway, you get the point.
As beekeepers, we do everything to provide an unadulterated product for the consumer. I woud not be comfortable in consuming honey unless I was sure that I follwed the manufacturers requirments as well as a few of my own.

Kurt

[Wally]

What to do with the honey is a second question. As Kurt says, be careful with food stuffs.

The hive needs to be partially robbed, or another deep added and frames inter-mingled. Swarms season is still in full swing. Give them space.