Delaying a Honeybee Swarm

If you are unable to visit your hives regularly and you are concerned about swarming, it's possible to delay swarming with a synthetic queen mandibular pheromone.

An over-crowded hive can limit the transmission of the queen's pheromone to all members of the colony. The queen's pheromone regulates colony behaviour and cohesiveness.

A synthetic queen pheromone can overcome the effects of crowding by naturally suspending a colony's urge to swarm for four to six weeks.

Note: Good hive management remains the best method for preventing a swarm. Reliance upon external additives can become a habitual practice that may supersede more appropriate methods.