What you'll learn
- Why colonies swarm
- Prevention techniques
- Making splits
- Capturing a swarm safely
- Reporting swarms to OCBA
1Why colonies swarm
Swarming is the honey bee's natural method of reproduction — the old queen leaves with roughly half the workers to found a new colony, while the original hive raises a new queen. Triggers include overcrowding, a congested brood nest, an aging queen, and the instinct that peaks in spring. Understanding swarming as a natural and healthy impulse (not a failure) helps you manage it calmly and effectively.
2Prevention techniques
Add honey supers before the colony feels crowded. Ensure the queen has room to lay by moving full honey frames up and giving her empty drawn comb. Checkerboarding — alternating empty and full frames in the upper boxes — can reduce swarm impulse. Requeening with a young queen in late winter resets the colony's swarm clock. Regular inspections to find and remove queen cells are a short-term measure but not a long-term solution.
3Making splits
A split (also called a divide or nucleus colony) removes bees and brood from a congested hive, relieving swarm pressure while giving you a new colony. Move several frames of brood, bees, honey, and pollen into a new box. Either let the split raise its own queen from existing eggs or introduce a purchased mated queen. The original colony continues with its existing queen. Splits are best made in spring when populations are high and drones are available for mating.
4Capturing a swarm safely
A swarm cluster is typically docile — the bees have no home to defend and are gorged with honey. Wear your veil and gloves regardless. Position a box below the cluster, give the branch a sharp shake to drop the bees in, and check that the queen is inside (bees fanning at the entrance with Nasonov glands exposed is a good sign). Cover the entrance loosely and move the box at dusk. Install the swarm in a prepared hive with drawn comb if available.
5Reporting swarms to OCBA
OCBA maintains a swarm removal list of members willing to collect swarms from the public. If you spot a swarm on your property or receive a call, contact OCBA through the website or at a monthly meeting. Capturing swarms is a valuable community service — it keeps bees out of walls and structures, provides free bees to beekeepers, and improves public perception of honey bees.