276 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



May, 1921 



COMB HONEY PRODUCTION 



S'warming Greatly Reduced by Better 



'■Bees, Better Hiues, 'better Combs, 



ana better ^Management 



By Geo. S. Demuth 



IN most locali- 

 ties suitable 

 for com b- 

 honey produc- 

 tion on a com- 

 meroial s e( a 1 e, 

 swarming is one 

 of the most dif- 

 ficult problems 

 with which the 

 comb-honey producer has to deal. The in- 

 tensity of the swarming tendency varies 

 greatly in different localities, during differ- 

 ent seasons in the same locality, and in 

 different colonies in the same apiary during 

 the same season. It is apparently greatest 

 when colonies build up most rapidly to 

 great strength in the spring, as is usually 

 the case in the far North, especially if a 

 moderate honey flow comes on at the time 

 the colonies have the greatest amount of 

 brood. It is usually less troublesome when 

 colonies build up more slowly, especially if 

 the weather conditions permit the bees to 

 work freely in the fields every day. Under 

 such conditions as in the tropics, the swarm- 

 ing season may be long drawn out, some- 

 times lasting several months; while in the 

 far North it is usually well defined, most of 

 the swarming often occurring within three 

 or four weeks. 



These differences in the intensity of the 

 swarming tendency have led to much dis- 

 agreement among beekeepers as to the best 

 methods for swarm control; but, as the rea- 

 sons for the differences become known, they 

 throw considerable light upon the conditions 

 under which bees may be induced to apply 

 themselves to energetic work instead of 

 swarming. 



Preventive Measures. 



Much time and energy have been spent 

 in the attempt to breed out swarming by 

 selecting breeding queens from colonies less 

 inclined to swarm, with the hoj^e of finally 

 developing a non-swarming strain. While 

 after years of selection swarming has been 

 reduced, these carefully bred strains con- 

 tinue to swarm when conditions are favor- 

 able, swarming or a lack of swarming ap- 

 parently being brought about more often 

 by conditions in the environment than thru 

 heredity. 



Many attempts have also been made to con- 

 struct a non-swarming hive, but at present 

 there is little if any ground for hoping that 

 swarming can ever be controlled completely 

 by means of the hive alone in the practical 

 production of comb honey. From all the 

 experimenting along these two lines much 

 has been learned, enabling beekeepers to re- 

 duce swarming by better bees, better hives, 

 and better combs. 



Influence of the Hive and Combs. 



Previous to the honey flow, swarming can 

 usually be prevented by supplying ample 

 space for brood-rearing, using two stories 

 when necessary. The better the combs, of 

 course, the more room there is in the 



b r o od-chamber 

 for brood-rear- 

 ing and the 

 greater the free- 

 dom in expand- 

 ing the brood 

 area. Colonies 

 which have less 

 than 60,000 cells 

 available for 

 brood-rearing are more inclined to swarm 

 than colonies having more. Colonies which 

 have barriers of imperfect comb between 

 the areas of good comb are more inclined to 

 swarm than colonies having perfect brood 

 comb thruout the brood-chamber, permitting 

 the free expansion of the brood-nest with- 

 out interruption. 



Colonies in hives which afford less com- 

 fort for the bees are more inclined to 

 swarm than colonies in hives which afford 

 them greater comfort. For this reason ven- 

 tilation, shade, and even the color of the 

 paint on the hives influence the tendency 

 to swarm. Thus while in practice swarm- 

 ing can not be prevented entirely by means 

 of the hive and combs alone when produc- 

 ing comb honey, the amount of swarming 

 can be considerably reduced by providing 

 ample space for brood-rearing, good combs, 

 and comfortable hives. Even the location 

 of the apiary has its influence upon swarm- 

 ing. Colonies located in a hot nook where the 

 breeze is almost entirely shut off are more 

 inclined to swarm than those located in 

 more comfortable quarters. 



Distribution of Bees Thruout the Hive. 



Apparently anything which causes too 

 many bees to crowd within the brood-nest, 

 tends strongly to bring on swarming re- 

 gardless of the total number of bees in the 

 hive. Therefore any condition which af- 

 fects the distribution of the bees within 

 the hive, has its effect upon the tendency 

 to swarm. Colonies which have a large pro- 

 portion of emerging bees and bees too young 

 to go into the supers or into the fields, are 

 more inclined to swarm than colonies which 

 are able to send most of their workers into 

 the fields and the supers during the heat of 

 the day, leaving only enough bees in the 

 brood-nest to do the necessary work there. 

 Colonies of medium strength which confine 

 their work largely to the brood-chamber at 

 the beginning of the honey flow are more 

 inclined to swarm than stronger colonies. 

 Colonies in which the super workers are 

 crowded back into the brood-chamber as 

 the combs in the sections become fully 

 drawn out before an additional super is 

 given, are more inclined to swarm than 

 colonies which are furnished additional 

 room before any of the super workers are 

 crowded down. Colonies in which the super 

 workers are forced to go back into the 

 brood-chamber because the supers become 

 too hot, are more inclined to swarm than 

 colonies having the supers protected by 

 shade-boards or covers painted white, which 



