Hive Management Question

[Ron Young]

Ok, given the year of the swarm that we have had, I am compelled to ask this question. I am certain that I have asked this in the past, but figure some new beekeepers can benefit. I will use one of my hives as the hive in question.

This hive was requeened in August of last year with a marked Minn. Hyg. Queen. They were very ill so to speak, so I though I would calm them down some. The hive was heavy in winter stores in late Sept. and I decided to winter them as was, with no top feeder being needed.

They wintered in a 10 frame, single deep hive.

They Wintered well.

Visited the hive on March 9, found good brood, good population, and light stores. All in all, probably 8 full frames of bees. I found the marked queen, and added a second 10 frame deep box.

March 17, I re-visited the hive, found them working the second deep with a surprising furver, and decided tha tthe two boxes needed checkerboarded together. This spread out the brood nest greatly, giving the bees plenty of room, and I then added a shallow 10 frame box, with cut comb foundation in it.

I visited this hive again during the last week of March, just taking a peak into the top cut comb box. They had started tying the foundation into the frames, and making sure it was secure. No comb had been started.

I would have thought this hive was set for the season, with only the added honey supers being needed as they began to move up and work the upper frames. They never really started pulling comb, and decided to swarm instead. This hive has produced multiple swarms, somewhere to the tune of 5, best I can tell.

What, if anything could I, or should I, have done to this hive to try and prevent this? Once you do an early manipulatio of the brood nest, and assure plenty of room, how many of you guys/girls remove honey supers, and break down the brood nest again and again to manage the hive?

[Ron Young]

I might add. The first swarm that I was aware of came on Easter Sunday, April 8. I actually shook this swarm into a five gallon bucket, and saw the queen on the underside of a screen that I placed over the bucket. Given her nice golden color, I assumed it was the marked Minn. Hyg. but later found it was not. So, I am of the opinion that this swarm came as an after swarm, and the initial swarm came and left without my knowing it. I have found at least five hatched queen cells in the hive. They are in the second deep, and appear to be supercedure cells as well, and not swarm cells.

I am hoping that not only new beeks can benefit from this quention, but (me too!!!!) What would you have done if this were your hive? (give the status of the hive as I have given it)

[specialkayme]

What would you have done if this were your hive?

It sounds like your hive was VERY populated. If it can throw off a swarm, and you didn't notice (not uncommon), but then throw off a SECOND swarm without really having an issue with populations, you have some massive numbers there.

It isn't rare for them to throw off several swarms, and it isn't something to be concerned about if each one is in the 2 lb range. But if they are large swarms you should be concerned (at least I would be).

Don't assume that 5 open queen cells means five swarms though. Sometimes competing swarm queens will emerge, but it doesn't mean both will make it.

But, if this hive were mine I would have split them before April 8th. Split, and split, and split again to keep hive numbers down. You want the populations high to produce a good honey crop, but not too high to cause swarming. The middle ground depends on the strain of bees you have (some are more prone to swarm than others), the level of risk you are willing to take (of losing a swarm), and gets easier with more experience.

[Ron Young]

So at what point do you right off a hive (for honey production), given that they are too populated, and just make a bunch of splits out of them?

The hardest decision I have to make it, how many times do you break down the brood nest just for an inspection? and how many bees are too many, given that I more than doubled the original space?

[dwbicefam]

For me, as a newbee, this brings up the question of what to do next spring if I have a hive with lots of bees that looks like it might swarm. I have two hives and don't really plan to have more, so splits are not the answer. I have the bees because I want them to pollinate my garden, not so much for the honey, I need to have enough bees to make enough honey for them to overwinter and to have a healthy hive. However, I don't want no bees, or a very weak hive after a swarm. So, let them swarm, offer a split to someone else who has room? Something to think about, fortunately I have a few months.
Cheryl

[Wally]

dw, first, keep working room in the hive. "empty space"

second, if they swarm anyway, it will become another hive within pollinating distance of your garden. One that you don't have to tend to.