Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
When a swarm of bees leaves its colony, it fills the air all around the colony. The swarm
then heads for a nearby branch or other object on which to settle before moving to its
final home.
Swarming
Overcrowding occurs at the beginning of the growing season, when abundant forage be-
comes available, the weather is favorable, the population of adult bees is large, and the
brood population is rapidly expanding. The colony is crowded with adults, more are on
the way, there's little room to expand, and the external environment invites exploration.
This situation triggers half the workers in the colony to change from a brood-rearing,
foraging mode to one of slowing down production, packing up, and preparing to move.
One result of this situation is that young workers, those able to produce wax, begin
constructing the base of large queen cells along the bottoms of the frames in the brood
nest, building them so that they hang down from the bottom of the frame. These bases
are called
queen cell cups
and you will often notice them along the bottoms of frames.
Finding them may indicate the early stages of swarming plans. At the same time, some
of the previously foraging bees begin to look for a habitat that would make an accept-
able new home.
Because room for expansion in the colony is limited, the queen slows egg-laying be-
havior, needs less food, and, within three to four days, stops laying eggs completely. A
queen who isn't laying eggs loses weight and slims down because her ovarioles shrink.
Her newfound slimness allows her to fly—something she hasn't done since her mating
flight.
Her changed behavior becomes more intense over the five to six days that the new
queen larvae are developing, and those workers that have become aware of the changes
are no longer foraging but staying in the hive and gorging on honey—gathering provi-
sions for the move. The final piece falls into place when the first of the queen larvae
reaches pupating age and her cell is capped by the workers. This is the final signal for
the existing queen to move to a new residence.
If the weather cooperates, the scout bees, which have been searching for a new hab-
itat, and other workers begin racing around in the broodnest area, stirring up the colony.
Suddenly the bees—including workers, a few drones, and the reigning queen—leave,
