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False Supersedure queen cells are normally produced on the comb surface. In comparison, queen cells produced in preparations for swarming are found along the bottom of the frames.

False Queen rearing is normally the first noticeable step in preparation for queen supersedure and swarming. Neither swarming nor supersedure necessarily follows maturation of queen cells. One of more queens may be reared and rejected before swarming or supersedure occurs, if it does at all.

False Queen honey bees leave the hive to take orientation flights prior to mating, during the mating flight(s), to participate in swarming and absconding, but not to take cleansing flights in the spring. The wastes of the queen are removed by the retinue of workers that forms around her in the brood nest throughout the year.

True Swarming is a very complex behavior that is not fully understood. Many recognizable factors contribute to the impulse, however, congestion in the brood area is believed to be the primary cause.

True Colonies preparing to swarm go through a number of behavioral transformations associated with the reduction of foraging activity, is an increase in the number of bees engorging with honey which is related to wax gland development. Also, many foragers become scouts looking for a new hone site.

An easy way to remember swarming is: The hive is full of Bees, Food, and Brood. The hive is pretty crowded so all the bees don't go into the hive at night. This reduces the chance of over heating. There is plenty of stored honey and pollen. Maybe, no more room for new food. The foraging bees get frustrate because the storage bees are not taking the nectar form them fast enough or at all. The foragers quit foraging and are just buzzing around the hive being impatient. The queen has laid all the eggs the space in the brood area will allow. She then stops laying new eggs making the nurse bees nervous.

The nurse bees start drawing queen cells because their old queen has "gone puny" and has stopped laying eggs. It takes 10 days for the old queen to slim down to aerodynamic shape. Now she flies away taking most all the flying bees with her. The new queen cell is capped on day 11. That is about the day the old queen departs the hive. On day 16 the new queen hatches, having no competition with the old queen. You can see here that by the time you find queen cells the process is so far along you may not be able to stop the swarming. Especially if the queen cells are capped. You have to come up with other management techniques to save the old queen. This involves some type of splitting and moving the old queen into a nuc.

Test Your Beekeeping Knowledge

Bee Quiz 7a

What do you know that will help you now?

Are you smarter than a honey bee?

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