Causes and prevention of bee swarming

Causes of swarming

• Overcrowding
• When there is no enough room to build enough honey store
• The temperature is too hot. With higher temperatures, more space is needed for each bee to maintain a cooler temperature.
• The hive does not have proper ventilation and drainage.
• Outbreak of pests like mites
• Sick and infertile queen
• Strong bad odor can chase away bees

Prevent & control swarming

• Always give your bees plenty of room. Bees need room to rear brood, store honey, nectar, and pollen, and produce beeswax. If in doubt, add more room! Too much room is better than not enough, but if you notice bees aren’t moving into their new space, it may be too much.
• When bees are in the process of building up the colony and growing, they should get a good amount of sunlight and warmth. Later on, during the honey flow periods, it may be necessary to shade the hives if you live in a very warm climate.
• Give your colonies plenty of good ventilation in warmer weather. Take out entrance reducers during hot periods and try staggering the supers so they are not flush on top of each other—this allows more air flow.
• Maintain good air flow and drainage to the hive at all times. Keep grass trimmed around the hive and place the hive in an area that gets good air flow. Placing your hive on a hive stand can also help the hive stay ventilated.
• Use young queens if possible. Older queens have a tendency to fail during times of high growth and egg laying.
• Control pests and disease

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Dr. Bbosa Science