November is one of the busiest months in the apiary on Our 200 Acre Farm. As spring advances, nectar and pollen flows increase, and your colonies grow rapidly. While it’s a sign of a healthy hive, it’s also prime swarm season, making it the perfect time to manage your hives proactively by splitting and reducing congestion to prevent swarming.
Why Do Bees Swarm?
Swarming is the colony’s natural way of reproducing, but it can leave you with fewer bees for honey collection and can cause issues if your bees take off into a neighbour’s tree. Swarming often occurs when the hive becomes crowded, and there is a high ratio of bees to brood space with ample nectar coming in.
How to Spot Swarming Signs:
- Queen cells on the bottom or edges of frames
- High bee numbers with congestion in the brood box
- Reduced laying by the queen
- Bees bearding outside the hive on warm days
Early detection allows you to take action before the swarm leaves.
Splitting Your Hive
Splitting is an effective method of swarm control while increasing your hive numbers:
1️⃣ Prepare Your Equipment: Have a spare hive ready with frames and foundation.
2️⃣ Find the Queen: During your inspection, locate and move the queen with several frames of brood and bees into the new hive.
3️⃣ Leave Queen Cells: In the original hive, leave a few healthy queen cells so they can raise a new queen.
4️⃣ Move the Split: To prevent the bees from returning to the original hive, you can move the split to another location for a few weeks, or manage entrances carefully if staying on-site.
This method mimics the bees’ natural swarming process without losing your workforce, helping you manage strong colonies while expanding your apiary sustainably.
Additional Swarm Prevention Tips:
✅ Add supers to provide extra space for nectar and reduce congestion.
✅ Rotate out old brood frames to give the queen space to lay.
✅ Keep up with inspections every 7–10 days during spring to catch queen cells early.
✅ Ensure your hives are well-ventilated and shaded to reduce heat stress, which can also trigger swarming.
On Our 200 Acre Farm, splitting hives in spring has helped us maintain calm, productive bees and prepare for the peak honey flow in summer. It’s also a rewarding moment to see your apiary grow, knowing you are working with the bees’ natural rhythms.
Taking the time now to manage your hives sets you up for a strong season ahead, ensuring your bees stay healthy, productive, and ready for a bountiful summer.
