Swarm Control Management

General Notes

• Assume all colonies of honey bees are likely to swarm
• Regular inspections will give you the opportunities to check for swarming indicators
• Swarm prevention measures should be part of any management system

Swarm Triggers

• Overcrowding
  • Overheating
  • Reduced brood area
  • Reduced honey storage room
  • Reduced comb building
• Aging Queen
  • Reduced Queen Pheromone
  • Diluted Pheremone

Signs a colony is preparing to swarm

• Queen cell cups present containing eggs/larvae/food
• Colony strong at egg laying peak
• Drones present

Types of Queen Cells

Swarm Queen Cell

Supercedure Queen Cell

Emergency Queen Cell

Swarm Rules

1. Dry queen cups (nothing in them)
   • Can be left
2. Charged queen cups containing brood food
   • Initiate swarm control procedures
3. Sealed queen cells
   • Too late – the swarm has emerged

Swarm Prevention Methods

Separate 1 from the other 2:

• Queen
• Flying bees (foragers)
• Brood

Simplest method - Collect the Swarm

An old beekeeper had an armchair in his apiary, where he sat to watch his bees during the summer months.

If a swarm issued, he collected the swarm and returned to his chair.

Swarm control but not prevention!

When queen cells are found

• No queen/swarm gone:
  • Leave an unsealed queen cell or divide into nuc
• Queen present/colony not swarmed:
  • Make a split (artificial swarm)

Breaking down queen cells is not a method of swarm control

Ways to Deter Swarming

• Remove some bees and brood to make a nucleus
• Move some brood to another colony
• Exchange a populous colony with swarm cells with a weaker colony in the apiary
• Add a super with empty drawn comb and foundation
• Remove the supers and bees and combine with a weak colony (newspaper)

Bait boxes

• Prepare good locations for a swarm to choose if one of your hives does swarm

An Artificial Swarm Method (Pagden)

• Breakdown the hive and place the [old] hive box/floor/roof off to one side
• Place a new floor, brood box (with frames +/- drawn comb) on the original site.
• Find the queen in the [old] brood box. Move her to the [new] box with a frame of unsealed brood.
  • Make sure there are no queen cells on this frame
  • Replace supers and roof on [new] hive (with queen and unsealed brood)

• In the [old] colony (with eggs, brood and nurse bees), find a nice, large queen cell and leave in place in the center of the brood. Replace the crown board and roof.
  • At this stage the original colony has been artificially swarmed.
    • The old queen and flying bees (in the new box) have been separated from the brood and nurse bees (in the old box).
    • Any flying bees from the old box, will return to the old site and rejoin the queen

• After around 6 or 7 days, relocate the [old] hive to the other side of the new [original queen containing] hive.
  • Newly flying foraging bees trying to return to the old hive will drift to the new hive, thus adding to the numbers of the artificial swarm.

A word on Florida Winter

• The warm temperatures keep the bees active all year long
• The temperature fluctuations are confusing to bees
• Remember: Just because the bees are flying doesn’t mean they are producing

Overwintering in Florida

• Entrance reducers: Help with warmth and hindering robbing
• Solid bottom boards: If temperatures get very low, it adds an extra layer of protection
• Check for nectar and honey stores early: Feed if needed
• Remove queen excluders: Allow the queen can move into the super if necessary
• Watch Varroa mite levels

Catching Swarms

(Bee Cowboys)

Swarms

• Blooms, Nectar, Warm temperatures
• Springtime hive growth
• Time to split

Hive growth / New Beginnings

• Queen leaves with half (50-60%) of the hive worker bees
• Nearby tree or bush for the next 24-48 hours
• Find a New Home

What about the hive left behind?

• New Queen will emerge
• Kill all other Queen Cups
• Mating Flight
• Begin to lay eggs after 8-12 days

Prepare to catch a swarm

• Anticipate the call:
  • A container to hold the swarm
  • Smoker, fuel and matches
  • Strap to hold lid on container
  • Bee veil
  • Ladder
  • Sugar syrup in a squirt bottle

Ask Questions

• Are these really honey bees?
• Ask what the "cluster looks like"
• Name, address and phone number of homeowner
• Location of swarm
• How long have the bees been there?
• How high off the ground are they?
• How big is the swarm?
• Ask permission, if needed, to snip a branch of the tree or bush holding the swarm

The Catch

• Try to place the whole cluster of bees in your container
• Can mist the hanging cluster of bees
• Can snip low branch and bees into the hive
• Carefully look for the queen
• Leave the new colony on location until night

Can you reach them?

Swarm Traps

Hive your caught swarm

• Place some type of feeder on the hive
• Give them a frame with a few nurse bees and little bit of brood
• Reduce the hive entrance
• Place some obstructions in front of the hive entrance
• Plan to re-queen (Best Management Practices)

Florida Swarm Patrol (Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

FDACS maintains a list of Registered Beekeepers and Certified Pest Control Operators who perform bee removal and/or eradication services.

Form: REQUEST FOR INCLUSION ON AHB BEE ERADICATION OR REMOVAL LIST

I request to be added to the Florida Department of Agriculture’s Bee Eradication or Removal List. I certify that I possess a Florida Pest Control Business License with a Certified Operator In Charge of the General Household and Rodent Pest Control Category (GHP-for interior or exterior bee control) and/or the Lawn & Ornamental Pest Control Category (L&O-exterior bee control only) OR I am a registered beekeeper using non-lethal methods and that I’ve received Africanized Honeybee Training (AHB).

Florida Swarm Patrol

• Beekeepers hired to remove bees are required to:
  • be registered with FDACS’s Apiary Section
  • but need not be licensed under Chapter 482, F.S.
• Registered beekeepers can remove and relocate nuisance swarms or established colonies in accordance with Rule 5E-14.151, Florida Administrative Code, and can apply to be on the Bee Removal or Eradication List.

The European Honeybee

Honeybee Life Cycle

The Phases of a Bee's Life From Egg to Adulthood

1. Egg
2. Larvae
3. Pupa
4. Adult

Honeybee Castes/Classes

• Queens
• Workers
• Drones

Phase 1: Egg

Egg laying

Queen = Hive mother (egg-laying female bees)

• Mate in flight with 7-150 drones
• Spends her life, after her mating flights, laying eggs
• Can lay 1500-2000 eggs in a day
• She decides if an egg is to be fertilized or not
  • Worker (or Queen) - Fertilized
  • Drone - Unfertilized

Eggs

Eggs are:

• Tiny and translucent white
• Longish and tubular (1.7 mm x 0.4 mm)
• Laid in upright position

Cell choice

Single egg in each cleaned and prepared cell

• If the cell is a standard worker-size cell (or a Queen cell) -> Fertilized egg
• If the cell is a wider, drone-size cell -> Unfertilized egg

The workers building the cells regulate the worker:drone ratio

Phase 2: Larvae

Growth

• Snowy white
• Resemble small grubs curled up in the cells
• Grow quickly - Shedding their skin 5 times

Feeding

• Workers (nurse bees) feed the Larvae
• Each Larva consume 1,300 meals a day
• Within 5 days, Larva are 1,570 times larger than their original size!

Worker or Queen?

All larvae are fed royal jelly for the first 3 days.

After those 3 days:

• Future Workers (and Drones): Diet is changed to honey/pollen mix (bee bread)
• Future Queens: Continue to receive royal jelly

Ready for the next stage

When Larva are ready, Workers seal the Larvae in the cell with a porous capping of tan beeswax

• The Larva spin a cocoon around their bodies

Phase 3: Pupa

The Metamorphosis!

Pupal Stage

During the pupal stage:

• The bees don’t feed
• Start to look more like bees (eyes, legs, wings, etc)
• Pupal duration from shortest to longest:
  • Queen < Worker < Drone

Emerging

Emerge from chamber by cutting the wax cover with their mandible

Newly emerged bees

• Wait 3-4 hours for their skin to harden before leaving hive
• They must eat to survive.
• Spend the first 2-3 weeks helping the worker bees in carrying out the routine tasks
• 3 weeks after emerging from the cocoon, they lose the glands that produce larval food and wax to become an adult bee

Phase 4: Adult

The Queen

Key for Hive Survival

The Queen is Key!

• Must lay eggs for future Workers, Drones, and Queens
• Pheromone signaling

Mating and Egg laying

• One Mating flight
• 7-150 Drones
• Can lay 1500-2000 eggs a day
  • Carefully scrutinizes each egg
  • Egg laying takes place in under 1 sec

Queen Pheromones

• Social glue of hive
• Gives the hive its identity and temperament
• Sends signals to workers

Aging Queen

As sperm storage depletes -> Lays fewer eggs -> Distorted egg-laying pattern

Worker bees begin nurturing next potential Queen for a new hive cycle

Queen Cells

1. Swarm cells
   • Placed on bottom/edge of comb
   • Hive (and Queen) preparation for a swarm
2. Supercedure cells
   • Placed on side of comb
   • Emergency if Queen loss or Replacement for aging Queen
   • Never cut away unless a replacement queen is ready

Worker Bee

Worker Bee

3 tasks:

1. To build hives and take care of the larvae
2. To forage for food
3. To defend the colony from enemies

Tasks by Worker Age

Nurse/House Bee Tasks

Days 1-17:

• Clean cells
• Keep brood warm
• Feed larvae
• Receive nectar from forager bees
• Clean hive
• Build wax comb
• Begin to take orientation flights

Guard Bee Tasks

Days 18-21:

• Keep unwanted visitors out of hive
• Fan to cool hive
• Fan to release locator pheromone (Nasonov)
• Fan to dehydrate honey

Undertaker Bee Tasks

• Remove the dead

Forager Bee Tasks

Days past 22:

• Last stage of life
• Gathers nectar and pollen
• Low survival rate
  • Predators
  • Insecticides
  • If she survives…
    • Works herself to death

Laying Worker

When Hive permanently queenless:

• Ovaries of several workers begin to develop and lay unfertilized eggs
• Normally suppressed by presence of brood, the queen, and her pheromones
• Colony is doomed
• Genetics might be passed on through drones

Drones

Drones

The sole responsibility of the drones is mating with a Queen bee - Preserving hive genetics

• Workers feed Drones
• If not needed (winter, low resources, etc)
  • Pushed out of hive
• After mating, leave their sex organs on the Queen and they die a few hours later

Recap of Stage Timing

Recap of Stage Timing

Recap of Stage Timing

Life Expectancy: Queen

In extreme cases: As many as 7 years

Depends on:

• Viability of the colony
• Availability of resources
• Her output and productivity

Life Expectancy: Worker

• Born Spring to late Fall (Summer):
  • Effectively work themselves to death
  • Typically 6 weeks
• Born end of Fall or Early Winter:
  • Charged with helping Queen survive cold months
  • Up to 4-5 months

Life Expectancy: Drone

• Drones die after mating
• If they don't mate, they live 5-7 weeks
• Born late Summer:
  • Evicted from hive

Hive Inspections

Queen, eggs, larva, and signs of pests

Required by FL

"Beekeepers must visually inspect all honey bee colonies a minimum of once a month to assure reasonable colony health including adequate food and colony strength."

Beekeeper Compliance Agreement - Chapter 586.10 (1), F.S. / Rule 5B-54.0105, F.A.C.

How often?

"as often as necessary, but as seldom as possible"

• At least monthly (FL)
• More frequently if:
  • New install
  • Swarm season
  • Less experienced beekeeper
• Not too often
  • Stress on the hive
  • Can become aggressive
  • Might abscond

What is your purpose?

• The purpose of this inspection is …
  • to see if the queen is laying
  • to evaluate honey stores
  • to look for signs of swarming
  • to look for brood disease

Outside Inspection

Opening the hive

Space

Queen Status

• Do you see your queen?
• Are there eggs (<3d)?
• Queen cells present?

Brood

Nutrition

• Feed necessary or given?
• Nectar flow?
• Honey and pollen status
  • Ready to harvest?

Pests or Disease?

Comb

Other

• Hive temperament: Calm when you open hive?
• Population: Heavy, Moderate, Low
• Any treatments

Tips

• Have a plan
• Have a checklist
• Wear all protective gear
• Use as little smoke as you must
• Be smooth, purposeful, and brief (<15 min)
• Keep records

Here is a simple inspection checklist:

1. Queen present or evidence of a queen (eggs, larva)
2. All stages of brood/brood patter
3. Honey and pollen in the comb
4. Bees are busy working – not lethargic
5. Brood (larva) is white and healthy
6. No obvious sign of disease
7. Few or no obvious pest problems

Records to keep

• Hive identification/Inspection date
• Does the colony have a visible queen or evidence of the queen?
• Brood Pattern – Is the queen laying a good pattern of worker brood?
• Is the colony bringing in pollen and nectar?
• Any there signs of pests or disease?
• Has the colony been tested and/or treated for mites? When? With What?

Varroa destructor Control

An Integrated Pest Management Approach

Why control Varroa?

1. Can cause colony death between 6 months to two years
2. Associated with 6 different honey bee viruses:
   • Deformed wing virus
   • Acute paralysis virus
   • Sacbrood virus
   • Israeli acute paralysis virus
   • Kashmir bee virus
3. Responsible beekeeping
4. Keeping healthy honey bees can help keep healthy pollinator populations

Varroa mites

• Jumped from the Asian honey bee (Apis cerana) to the European honey bee
• Spread around the World (Arriving in USA in 1987)
• Reproduce in cells with developing workers and drones
• Feed from the fat bodies of the bees
• Controlling varroa = controlling viruses

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

Checking mite levels

• Do this regularly
• Methods:
  1. Alcohol washes
  2. Sugar rolls
  3. Sticky board
• Goal: <3%

Alcohol Wash Method

• Use a wide-mouth glass jar with 50 ml (2 oz) of rubbing alcohol
• Scoop about 300 bees (1 cup) from the brood area
  • NO Queen!
• Shake for several minutes
• Pour contents through a light metal wire-mesh screen
• Count number of mites (divide by 3 for a %)

Genetics

Queen selection:

• Choose new young queens
• Local survivor colony queens and Ankle biters/leg chewers queens
• Specialty queens
  • Russian
  • Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH)
  • Caucasian hybrid
  • Buckfast hybrid
  • Buckfast
  • Improved Carniolan stock

A Test for Hygienic Behavior

1. Mark a cell directly above 3 groups of 7 newly sealed cells
2. Kill all 21 larva by pricking them with a pin through the cappings
   • Use the same hole to prick the larva several times at different angles
3. Count how many cells are completely uncapped and cleaned out after 24 hours
   • Colonies which have cleaned 19 cells (90%) are considered hygienic

Cultural Methods

• Take advantage of honey bee behaviors and/or Varroa biology
• Goal: To limit the number of mites that reproduce => slowing Varroa population build up

Screened bottom boards

• Varroa fall off of bees naturally and when bees groom each other
• Allow mites to fall through (out of the hive), preventing them from crawling back up
• Passive mite control device
• Reported to reduce mite levels by as much as 40%

Sticky Boards

• Similar to screened bottom boards -> prevents mites from returning to the cluster
• After 3 days, the sticky board is removed:
  • Count the Varroa
  • Divide by the number of days that the board was under the hive
  • If > 40 => treat the colony

Brood interruption or making splits

Interrupting the honey bee development cycle also interrupts Varroa development

• Fewer brood cells for mite reproduction
• Cage or remove the queen for approximately 3 weeks
• All of the brood hatches (mites are forced out of the cells and onto adult bees)
• Adult bees increase grooming behavior in the absence of brood
• Properly timed, can ease stress of a dearth period

Drone brood removal

• Varroa mites prefer drone brood 12x more than worker brood
• Removing capped drone brood = removing Varroa
• Cut out mostly capped Drone comb 1-3 times
• Can reduce by up to 80%

Powdered sugar dusting

• Being covered in powdered sugar causes bees to groom themselves and each other -> dislodging mites
• Labor intensive and unsure effectiveness

Chemical Control Options in Florida:

1. Apiguard - essential oil from thyme plant
2. Api Life VAR - essential oils from thyme, camphor, eucalyptus, mint plants
3. Formic Pro (replaces Mite Away Quick Strips) - Formic acid
4. HopGuard II - beta acids from hop plant
5. Oxalic Acid Dihydrate
6. Apivar - Amitraz, synthetic chemical, pesticide class: amidine
7. Apistan - tau-fluvalinate, synthetic chemical, pesticide class: pyrethroid

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

• Apiguard (thymol)
  • Spring and Fall
  • Use these treatments between 60° and 105°F
  • Apply in late afternoon or evening
  • Don’t apply during nectar flow

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

• Api Life Var (thymol, eucalyptor, menthol, camphor)
  • Spring or autumn
  • Use when temperature is between 65-85°F
  • Apply 3 times at 7-10 day intervals
  • Remove honey supers during treatment and wait one month following treatment to harvest honey

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

• Formic Pro
  • Use when temperature is between 50-92°F
  • Can be used while honey supers are on

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

• Hop Guard II (hops beta acids)
  • Do not use more than 3 times/year
  • Can be used when honey supers are on
  • More effective when less brood (does not cross cappings)

Natural (Soft Chemicals)

• Oxalic acid
  • Most effective during broodless periods
  • Winter or early spring method
  • Should not be used as a stand-alone treatment

Synthetics (Hard Chemicals)

• Apivar (amitraz)
  • Remove honey supers while treating
  • Wait 2 weeks after treatment ends before replacing them
  • Do not use this treatment more than 2 times/year
  • Some resistance documented

Synthetics (Hard Chemicals)

• Apistan (fluvalinate)
  • Remove honey supers while treating
  • Do not use beeswax for human consumption after treatment
  • Daytime temperatures must be at ≥50°F
  • Developing resistance

Summary Chemical Table

Integrated Pest Management (IPM)

• Control Varroa for healthy bees as a responsible beekeeper
• Check Varroa levels regularly
• Choose hygenic genetics
• Integrate non-chemical treatments to your strategies
  • Screen bottom board, brood breaks, drone brood removal, etc
• Use chemical treatments as you must, and follow all the application directions