Preventing a Honeybee Swarm
Reversing brood chambers
The primary reason a colony swarms is due to hive congestion. In the winter, the queen and her colony move upward in the hive. By spring, the colony is usually located in the top hive box, leaving the bottom boxes empty. Unless the queen, colony and brood are moved to the lower super, the colony will likely become congested in the top box of the hive.
When a colony is congested, it prepares to swarm by creating swarm cells for new queens. To prevent swarming, remove the swarm cells with a hive tool, then reverse the hives as described below.
Note: Reversal of hives should be performed in sunny weather when most of the bees in the hive are foraging for nectar and pollen. A solution of sugar syrup (2:1 mixture of sugar and water) can also be sprayed on the bees to weigh down their wings and keep them occupied. Using smoke triggers bees innate response to fire, causing them to gorge on honey.
To reverse brood chambers with empty comb, first remove the top super containing the queen and the colony, placing it on a spare bottom board. Then place all supers with dry comb above the super with the queen, the bees, and the brood.
Reorganizing the Hive
When a queen's laying is impeded by brood cells and honey stores, the colony may respond by creating swarm cells in preparation for splitting the hive in 13 to 15 days, (which is why a hive should be checked every 10 to 12 days). To relieve this congestion:
- Smoke the bees or spray with sugar syrup.
- Reorganize the frames in the super by removing 2 or 3 frames of honey and pollen.
- Brush the bees off the frame and into the hive with a bee brush.
- Stagger the brood frames with empty comb frames in the center of the hive.
- Now the hive will be less congested and the queen will have space to lay eggs.
Another method to reduce congestion is to swap frames of honey and pollen from one hive with frames of brood from another hive. Bees will raise all brood as their own.
Note: Insert the frames gently to minimize the number of bees injured or killed. Be especially careful with the queen - killing her will set back colony production and egg-laying about three weeks. Know where your queen is at all times and ensure she remains in the hive. The frames of honey and pollen you remove can be kept for future use or placed in a hive that needs extra food.
Splitting a Hive
It's possible to deliberately split an overpopulated hive. In June, a beekeeper can create a nuc-box, a small hive that holds 4 frames, and move the excess bees to it. Simply remove two brood frames and two honey and pollen frames from the crowded mother hive, placing them in a nuc-box. Replace the four empty slots in the mother hive with empty comb.
Do not brush the bees off the four frames as you move them to the nuc-box because they will create queen cells and rear the brood in the new hive. When the population of the nuc-box increases until it becomes crowded, move the colony into a super with six more frames of comb