Swarm Prevention and Management for Australian Beekeepers

Understanding SwarmingA swarm occurs when the existing queen and approximately half the colony leave to establish a new nest — triggered by overcrowding, instinct as the colony reaches a threshold size, or finding the hive conditions unsuitable. Preventing swarming while maintaining productive colonies is the central management challenge of spring beekeeping in Australia. Once the colony has raised queen cells (the distinctive peanut-shaped cells containing developing queens), swarming is usua…