Swarms and expanding the apiary

In short

• Swarm season is May–June (from late April in the south, into July in the north); check for queen cells every 7–9 days, without gaps.
• Room, a young queen and work (foundation to draw) are the best swarm prevention.
• Knocking down queen cells alone doesn't stop a swarm; you need an artificial swarm or a split.
• Swarm up high: ladders with two people, never above 2 m (6 ft) alone. A fall is more dangerous than a sting.
• Introduce a new queen in a cage, and don't check her for 7 days.
• Grow the apiary by a third to a half a year, no more.

What's inside

Chapters

1. Why bees swarm
2. Three kinds of queen cell
3. Preventing swarms
4. Artificial swarms and splits
5. Catching a swarm
6. Hiving a swarm
7. The queen: buying, introducing and replacing
8. Your own queens in a small apiary
9. Bait hives
10. Uniting colonies
11. Expansion plan
12. Common mistakes
13. Printable checklist

Worksheets

• Swarm-season calendar
• Swarm inspection log
• Queen and swarm register
• Expansion calculator
• Swarm-catching kit list