4.4 Swarming

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4.4 Swarming

Why do bees swarm? Swarming is a natural behavior and it's how honey bees reproduce. While it's impossible to stop bees from swarming, we work to minimize this behavior because it leads to a loss of both honey production and bees.

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Swarming (Runtime 1:13)

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Congestion

Although swarming is not very well understood, several possible factors can lead to its initiation. The most common factor is congestion within the brood area. As the brood area increases, space for nectar storage decreases, prompting division of the colony.

Congestion can also obstruct the diffusion of "queen substance" (pheromone), which may add to the colony’s desire to produce new queen cells and swarm.

Congestion might also cause a breakdown in ventilation. When a colony is growing and robust, a change in weather for the worse can force the bees to stay inside, increasing congestion and prompting swarming.

The most common factor in swarming is congestion within the brood area.
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Older Queens

A colony with a queen that is more than a year old is more likely to swarm than colonies with younger queens. Requeening on a regular schedule—at least every 2 years—is important for swarm management.

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Other Factors in Swarming

In addition to congestion in the brood area and the presence of an older queen, other conditions that contribute to swarming behavior include:

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