Steve Donohoe discusses swarm prevention strategies, bringing together as much information as he can into one place. Useful information for beekeepers who want to reduce the swarming of their honey bee colonies.
Intro
including reference to Ian Steppler YouTube video just posted on varroa treatments, using Randy Oliver spreadsheet model. https://youtu.be/Z2FLoAq6LDc
02:20 Recent apiary inspection of nucleus colonies
03:50 What causes swarming?
06:40 Impossible to eliminate, but we can influence
07:10 Genetics, personal experience, Paul Horton's bees, sub-species
11:25 Queen pheromones, age of queens
12:35 Brood nest congestion
15:10 Climate and weather
16:30 Poor weather in spring 2024 reduced swarming
18:20 Prevention rather than control of swarming
20:20 Selective breeding, selective pressure - leaving a single queen cell in a swarmed colony pushes it in the wrong direction, using cells/queens from breeding program is better, using over-wintered queens
24:55 Re-queening, younger queens are less likely to swarm
26:20 Gruff Rees YouTube interview "No Weekly Inspections" with David Wainwright - a less intensive style of beekeeping
28:40 Regular hive inspections 7 to 10 day rotation, checking for eggs, space for bees, space for queen to lay, swarm cells
30:50 Space for bees, brood, and stores. Staying ahead of the bees. Supering.
33:15 Frame swapping, making splits or cell builders, space in a Langstroth brood box
37:20 Reversing boxes, double brood, brood and a half
40:00 Adding a brood box of foundation overhead, then splitting, combined with oxalic mite treatment
43:55 Demaree, adding space while keeping the colony together - not a split. Lots of heavy lifting, might be problematic with foundation in the bottom box and the changeable UK weather
49:00 What works for one person may not work for the next person
49:40 Checkerboarding, small book on the subject published by Northern Bee Books
53:45 Summary