Swarm Control 



27 



ate Its effect§j_and the s uccessful cor - 

 recHVe "Wfeasures are those bj' which 

 the''BiaiHnCff'TnTEe proportion of hive 

 bees and fleTd^bees is restored. In 

 natural swarinirig" as well as in the 

 various methods that have been work- 

 ed out to anticipate swarming, there 

 is a break in the continuity of emer- 

 gence of young bees within the hive, 

 either at the time of the operation or 

 a few weeks later. This reduction in 

 the number of oncoming young bees is 

 apparently an essential part of any 

 successful treatment for swarming. 



When a queen is being superseded 

 during the swarming season the colony 

 may swarm, even though it is lacking 

 in a preponderance of young bees, 

 which is present in normal swarming. 

 In this case the presence of queen 

 cells begun in response to the super- 

 sedure impulse apparently brings on 

 the issuing of the swarm. Such 

 swarming differs in many respects 

 from normal swarming (p. 19). 



When a queen is removed or is lost 

 by some accident several queen cells 

 are usually built, and when the young 

 queens begin to emerge swarming may 

 be expected even though the conditions 

 conducive to normal swarming are ab- 

 sent. Such colonies apparently swarm 

 because of a plurality of emerging 

 queens, behaving in this respect like 

 parent colonies in casting afterswarms 

 and quite unlike the behavior in nor- 

 mal swarming. 



SUMMARY 



Among the factors that contribute to 

 the tendency to swarm are (1) those 

 connected with inbred characteristics, 

 (2) those connected with the size, 

 shape, and arrangement of the hives 

 and the character of the combs (imme- 

 diate environment), and (3) those con- 

 nected with the distribution of the 

 bees as brought about by the peculiari- 

 ties of the season, the locality, and the 

 management (general environment). 



Inbred characteristics. — Some Strains of 

 bees have a stronger tendency to 

 swarm than others. To some extent, 

 therefore, swarming may be reduced 

 by careful selection in breeding. 



Tie hive and combs. — Colonies of bees 

 having large brood chambers are less 

 inclined to swarm than those having 

 brood chambers too small. Strong 

 colonies having good queens may need 

 60,000 to 70,000 cells for the rearing of 

 brood, during the period of extensive 

 brood rearing in the spring, in addi- 

 tion to the cells used for the storage 

 of honey and pollen. 



Colonies of bees having good combs 

 throughout are less inclined to swarm 

 than colonies having poor combs. Iu>. 

 ferior combs may greatly increase the 

 tendency to swarm, both by reducing 

 the amount of available brood-rearing 

 space and by acting as barriers in the 

 way of a free expansion of the brood 

 nest. 



Spaces for idle bees, especially with- 

 in the brood nest, may reduce the ten- 

 dency to swarm. Such space may be 

 provided by wide spacing of the combs 

 or by a deep space below the frames. 



Colonies in hives which are well 

 ventilated and well protected from 

 the direct rays of the sun are less in- 

 clined to swarm than those in poorly 

 ventilated hives exposed to the sun. 

 Ample ventilation should be provided, 

 hives should be painted white, and if 

 the weather is hot during the swarm- 

 ing season shade boards should be 

 used over the hives. 



Distribution of bees within the hives.— 

 Probably the greatest single factor in 

 the cause of swarming is a conges- 

 tion of unemployed bees within the 

 brood nest or discomfort in this part 

 of the hive from overheating and lack 

 of ventilation. Colonies which build 

 a barrier of sealed honey around the 

 brood ne^t during the spring, thus con- 

 fining their activities to this limited 

 space, may be inclined to swarm even 

 when there is an abundance of empty 

 comb in other parts of the hive. 



When the bees increase brood rear- 

 ing in the spring so rapidly that 

 young bees accumulate faster than 

 they are able to take up work in the 

 hive outside of the brood nest, the 

 tendency to swarm is usually strong 

 unless there is a dearth of nectar at 

 this time. This condition brings on 

 the normal swarming season, and 

 great care is necessary to bring about a 

 better distribution of the bees to pre- 

 vent crowding the brood nest. 



If to this condition there is adde<l 

 any factor which in any way Inter- 

 feres with the young bees leaving the 

 brood nest to take up work in the 

 supers, the congestion of bees within 

 the broo^ nest is increased, since this 

 condition causes field bees to remain 

 within the hives when they should be 

 at work in the fields. The giving of 

 super room of such character and in 

 such a manner that the increasing 

 number of hive workers may be en- 

 ticed from the brood nest and given 

 work to do in the supers is of the 

 greatest importance in the prevention 

 of swarming. 



