Switching Hive Bodies 4 Swarm Control

[Benton2569]

What do experienced bee keepers think about switching hive bodies to prevent swarming? Does it really work and or are there other benefits of rotating hive bodies?

Thanks

[Rob-bee]

I personally do not do it. IMHO I think it is a waste of time. The bees put their "stuff" where it suits them best. And usually the bottom of the hive is pollen. (Very hard for the bees to move even if they do, which I rarely ever see them do.) So moving a hive body with pollen in it to stimulate laying is not going to happen. They move honey to allow more room to lay but not pollen. That is why they move up and lay in the supers and when the flow is on the bees fill the top with honey driving the queen back down. I do not think it prevents swarming. IMHO. Others may have different opinions on the subject.

[Benton2569]

I was always told to switch but the more I learn the more it seems pointless. In the past I had always switched hive bodies but not this year. so far all seems to going o.k.

[Mike Gillmore]

George Imirie was thoroughly convinced that repeated reversals were very effective in controlling swarms. Here is one of his articles.

http://www.tnbeekeepers.org/pubs/Jan2002.pdf

I reverse once in early spring before Dandelion when the maples are blooming, if the bees are moving into the upper brood box. After that, frame manipulation and keeping the brood nest opened up seems to work pretty well to help control swarming.

Although several spring reversals will help reduce swarming, it seems to repeatedly confuse the colony and will impede their spring build up. Just something to consider.

[Michael Palmer]

Does it really work and or are there other benefits of rotating hive bodies?

Thanks

It really works. It's my main method of swarm control.

Bees like to move up. Up onto empty combs. They don't feel crowded when they can. This can be accomplished by supering, or reversing. I use both. When I first see Dandelions starting to bloom, I add 2 medium supers to every hive...above the broodnest. The bees move up. Some queens will lay in the bottom super. That's ok with me. If they need to, then let them. The Dandelion/Fruitbloom flow can be intense here...like this year. So, with supers on, the bees move up. The queen can move up if shen wants. There's somewhere to place that incoming nectar...other than the broodnest. When brood hatches, the quen re-lays in those cells. It's a progression. She lays in that crcular pattern. By the time she is getting near the outside of the frame, the first layed brood in hatching. As it hatches, she re-lays in those cells. What happens if there is nowhere to put the nectar...no supers on or empty comb above the cluster? They put the nectar in the cells that just hatched...beating the queen to them. Now there's a problem. The queen can't find enough cells to lay eggs, and that's one major trigger for swarming.

Just adding supers to a strong colony doesn't always take care of that. he cluster has been at the top of the hive all spring, and early flow. There may be combs of crystallized honey in the top box. She may not want to move down, and once again she has to compete with incoming nectar. Swarming preparations start.

At this point, reversing the brood boxes once again places empty comb above the cluster.

So, I add supers at the beginning of Dandelion bloom. Once the flow is going, I reverse. Any colonies wanting to swarm will be showing at this point, and can be manipulated. I cut cells when I reverse (any that are showing swarming desire) and add more supers. This stops the vast majority from swarming. Some, of course will persist. Usually, these can be fixed by re-queening. Those colonies that will continue swarm preparations even whern not crowded, or even working in their supers are trying to re-queen...in my opinion. Help them accomplish what they want.

Yes, reversing does have other benefits. You've seen colonies that come through the winter with frames of crystallized honey in the top of the broodnest. It sits there, taking up, and wasting space. Reversing places that honey in the bottom of the hive. The bees don't ike it there, and will dig it out, freeing up those combs.

[Michael Bush]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beeslazy.htm#stopswitching