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Swarming bees create swarmy bees. Start with the best genetics you can.
We find that some bees are far more prone to swarming that others. If you make splits by propagating these 'swarmy' bees, you are promoting this negative trait. You want to start your beekeeping journey with bees that are bred for their resistance to swarming. All our queens and nucs are bred specifically to reduce their swarming instinct.
1. REGULAR INSPECTIONS
Regular inspections is the only way to identify when a colony is about to swarm. It doesn't stop the colony from swarming but it gives you crucial information about what the bees are planning to do next. You should inspect EVERY 7 days from April to September in the UK, throughout the active beekeeping season. If you find swarm cells you can take action.
2. HORIZONTAL SPLITS
The easiest way to stop your bees swarming is to make proactive splits. This method of artificial swarming makes the bees think they have already swarmed and heavily reduces their impulse to swarm. You can follow our video on MAKING HORIZONTAL SPLITS or check out THIS PAGE for detailed instructions on how to split your beehive.
3. VERTICAL SPLITS
This is our favourite swarm management technique and it can be carried out numerous times within the season. The Demaree method involves lifting the brood area to the top of the stack of boxes and replacing the brood box with frames of foundation and the original queen. Check out our video for detailed instructions on how to perform a Demaree split
4. GIVE THEM SPACE
If colonies of bees do not have sufficient space, they WILL swarm. However, giving them sufficient space is only a small part of a swarm management strategy. You should aim to ensure the bees always have at least one empty box of frames above them at all times, with the only exception being, the last few weeks of the beekeeping season.
5. KEEP THEM BUSY
Keeping bees busy by adding fresh foundation is an excellent swarm management technique. It's not a fool proof method and should be used in conjunction with other techniques. The process of drawing wax seems to keep the bees occupied on expanding the existing colony as opposed to swarming and trying to find somewhere new to live!
6. DON'T BREED FROM THEM
Making Splits from Queen Cells is EASY - Check out our video on how to do it HERE. But it comes with its own risks. Swarming is a genetic trait that all bees possess. However, some bees do seem to have a propensity to swarm more than others. By making splits with colonies that are proven to swarm regularly, you are propagating this negative trait.
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Lovely calm bees. Highly recommended. Quick service with enquiry pre-purchase. Nuc was easy to transfer following videos. Lovely bees and queen. They are thriving! Thank you. Deposit already paid for 2024 bees!
Kris King
How to stop your colony of bees from swarming.
My favourite technique to stop your bees from swarming is a vertical swarm management technique, called a Demaree. The Demaree technique involves creating space between the emerging brood and the queen, which results in the colony believing it has already swarmed. This means you keep all the of the bees under a single roof saving equipment and making loads of honey!
BUY NUCS FOR SALE AND QUEEN BEES ONLINE
Queen bees for sale
Our queen bees are bred from the healthiest and most productive colonies, ensuring strong and thriving hives. We never breed from any colony that attempts to swarm in the season. Experience the benefits of our premium queens and take your beekeeping to the next level.
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Great vlogger who put way more in than he needs to. By far the best on the internet! With awesome bees and queens. A must for any bee keeper new or old.
Darren Hawkins
Our ordering process is simple
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Our website is backed by WIX so it's super-fast and secure. We support fast checkouts with Google/Apple Pay to make ordering as simple as possible. We take all major credit/debit cards.
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We work as hard as the bees to get your orders to you ASAP. Queens/Nucs are sent via Royal Mail’s Special Tracked Next Day Delivery and all other orders are sent via a Tracked 48hr service.
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Quality Products
Whether you want to buy queen bees or you are looking for nucs for sale, quality is everything to us. We don't cut corners! When you buy from BMH, you get the very best bees money can buy.
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