May 13, 2026
Bee Science: Spring Colony Growth - Managing Expansion, Nutrition, and Swarming
Spring is a season of rapid change inside the hive, and in this Bee Science segment, Dr. Dewey Caron walks through what drives colony expansion—and how beekeepers can respond effectively.
Dewey emphasizes that spring growth is fundamentally tied to pollen availability and favorable flying weather. Colonies in warmer climates may expand gradually, while northern colonies often experience a compressed and intense buildup. This variability makes local awareness and timing essential.
Nutrition plays a central role. Research going back to Heather Mattila’s 2006 work shows that colonies receiving pollen or protein supplements begin brood rearing earlier and build stronger populations. More recent work reinforces that locally sourced pollen may improve effectiveness, and emerging commercial feeds are showing measurable gains in overwinter survival and pollination strength.
As colonies grow, so does the risk of swarming. Dewey underscores the importance of proactive management—providing adequate space, maintaining ventilation, and monitoring brood nest congestion. Once swarm preparation begins, options narrow quickly, making early intervention key.
The episode also introduces the “Goldilocks effect” in evaluating colony strength. Colonies that are too weak struggle to build, while overly strong colonies risk swarming. The goal is finding that “just right” balance through regular inspection, brood assessment, and strategic frame movement.
Health risks remain present during this expansion phase. Diseases like European foulbrood and chalkbrood, along with pesticide exposure and nutritional stress, can limit colony development. At the same time, brood expansion creates ideal conditions for varroa reproduction, reinforcing the need for integrated management.
Dewey’s central message is clear: spring requires active, informed management—but not overmanagement. Listen to the bees, respond to conditions, and aim for balance between growth and control.
Links and references mentioned in this episode:
-
Caron, Dewey M. Bee MD Bee MD [https://idtools.org/thebeemd/index.cfm?pageID=3094]
-
Mattila, Hearther R. and Gard W Otis. 2006. Influence of pollen diet in spring on development of honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies. J. Econ Entomol. 99(3):604-13. doi: 10.1603/0022-0493-99.3.604
-
Kulhanek, Kelly, et. al. 2026. Enhanced Honey Bee Colony Strength and Economic Returns from Fall and Winter Feeding with a Complete Pollen-Replacing Feed. Insects 2026, 17(3), 243; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17030243
-
Basu, Priya. 2024 Honey bee Nutrition HBHC https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org/nutritionguide/
-
Tew, James. 2025. Giving it Your Best Guess. March. Bee Culture
-
DeGrandi-Hoffman G, Gage SL, Corby-Harris V, Carroll M, Chambers M, Graham H, Watkins DeJong E, Hidalgo G, Calle S, Azzouz-Olden F, Meador C, Snyder L, and Ziolkowski N. 2018. Connecting the nutrient composition of seasonal pollens with changing nutritional needs of honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) colonies. J Insect Physiol.109:114-124. doi: 10.1016/j.jinsphys.2018.07.002. Epub 2018 Jul 7.PMID: 29990468
-
Hoover SE, Ovinge LP, and Kearns JD. 2022. Consumption of Supplemental Spring Protein Feeds by Western Honey Bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) Colonies: Effects on Colony Growth and Pollination Potential. J. Econ Entomol.115(2):417-429. doi: 10.1093/jee/toac006.PMID: 35181788Free PMC article.
______________
Brought to you by Betterbee – your partners in better beekeeping.
Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee’s mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com
_______________
We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com
Thank you for listening!
Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott.
Beekeeping Today Podcast is an audio production of Growing Planet Media, LLC
** As an Amazon Associate, we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases
Copyright © 2026 by Growing Planet Media, LLC
WEBVTT
00:00:02.800 --> 00:00:04.240
Hi, I'm Dr.
00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.920
Dewey Caron.
00:00:05.920 --> 00:00:09.440
I come to you from Portland, Oregon.
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:14.720
I present another audio postcard in this once-monthly Beekeeping Today
00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:18.040
miniseries podcast, Be Science, with Dr.
00:00:18.040 --> 00:00:19.400
Dewey Caron.
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:22.520
This is the fifth installment in this series.
00:00:22.520 --> 00:00:29.800
Each episode seeks to blend research, field experience, seasonal control, context, etc.
00:00:29.940 --> 00:00:34.100
Focusing on the why behind honey bee biology and behavior.
00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:38.660
I welcome your suggestions for timely topics you'd like to have covered.
00:00:38.740 --> 00:00:41.540
The mini-series this month is spring.
00:00:41.540 --> 00:00:43.220
Spring is continuing.
00:00:43.220 --> 00:00:47.540
For some of us, we're well into the spring and beyond.
00:00:47.540 --> 00:00:50.580
Others are kind of beginning for our listeners.
00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.460
So there's a there is a variation.
00:00:53.060 --> 00:01:01.220
For mm the uh previous two episodes, I discussed mites and how we uh have a plan, how we should have a plan.
00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:05.140
And how to flatten the might growth curve in the spring.
00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:07.540
My overall message was fairly simple.
00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:08.420
Have a plan
00:01:09.020 --> 00:01:17.579
With new tools and better information about the varroa mites early spring reproduction that is in the drones.
00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.720
Your plan might now be an involving one.
00:01:20.720 --> 00:01:29.040
We should have modified your plan to include use of OAV, for example, viroxan, or the homemade sponges soaked in OA.
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:37.920
Some additionally have added a spring chemical treatment, and hopefully most are including some drone brood removal in their plan
00:01:38.260 --> 00:01:48.900
Others are seeking to integrate NOROA, the DA double-stranded RNA treatment regime, that causes a halt in varroa mite reproduction
00:01:48.960 --> 00:01:51.840
So on to our topic this month, spring.
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.120
Spring is a period of population increase.
00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:02.400
Availability of pollen and foraging whether appropriate for flight are major drivers of spring colony expansion.
00:02:02.340 --> 00:02:14.660
For Southern sites, this period of spring expansion is drawn out and occurs gradually, while for more northern locations, this period can be short and the population increase very rapid.
00:02:14.740 --> 00:02:20.180
There are many, many good resources about management of spring colonies.
00:02:20.180 --> 00:02:26.180
Bee club websites, bee club newsletters, articles in our sponsored Bee Culture magazine.
00:02:26.060 --> 00:02:32.939
For example, the regular column in March of two twenty six by Jim Tew entitled Giving It Your Best Guess.
00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:33.819
YouTube's.
00:02:33.819 --> 00:02:35.980
Yeah, there are many, many sources.
00:02:35.980 --> 00:02:40.860
Pick and use one or more appropriate for your area.
00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:49.200
Many sources on spring management will recommend feeding a dilute sugar syrup and or protein patties to improve spring colony development
00:02:49.440 --> 00:03:01.760
Feeding extends the resources for days when environmental conditions may limit flight, but only work provided the bees can break cluster to access those resources
00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:05.120
In-high feeding improves such access.
00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.200
So what about protein?
00:03:07.200 --> 00:03:10.000
A study demonstrating that protein influences
00:03:10.260 --> 00:03:17.700
Spring colony development extends back to a two thousand and six, all the way back to two thousand six article by Heather Matilla.
00:03:17.700 --> 00:03:22.660
Heather, in her PhD study with advisor Gard Otis at Guelph University,
00:03:22.760 --> 00:03:27.640
Established pollen supplemented and pollen livid colonies for three springs.
00:03:27.640 --> 00:03:34.200
Colony brew rearing and honey yields were subsequently monitored throughout the summer
00:03:34.160 --> 00:03:42.800
In all three colon all three years, the colonies that were supplemented with protein, with pollen, or a protein substitute,
00:03:42.740 --> 00:03:53.060
in the spring started rearing brood earlier than colonies and other treatment groups and produced the most workers by late May or by late April or early May.
00:03:53.440 --> 00:04:05.280
A 2018 publication by USDA, the people at Tucson, demonstrated that there is a difference in colony response to fall and spring polls.
00:04:05.420 --> 00:04:17.500
Indicating supplements that you would add pollen to might be most beneficial with addition of pollen collected locally in the proper season for maximum effectiveness.
00:04:17.620 --> 00:04:32.259
A recently published, this was 2026, research paper by Kelly Kuhanek and the folks at Washington State University, examined a nutritionally complete feed, which resembles an oversized thin granola bar.
00:04:31.460 --> 00:04:38.740
It was developed by Apex Biosciences biotech company based in Belgium and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
00:04:38.740 --> 00:04:44.099
It is a new entry into a crowded and complicated supplemental bee feed market.
00:04:44.420 --> 00:04:48.260
It has been nicknamed Canadian Rocket Fuel.
00:04:48.260 --> 00:04:54.100
The study involved beekeeping operations, each managing more than 2,000 colonies
00:04:54.340 --> 00:05:03.220
Colonies of equally sized group received either the new diet or the normal fall-winter feeding preference of each beekeeper.
00:05:03.060 --> 00:05:04.740
And so those would vary.
00:05:04.740 --> 00:05:09.699
Uh each beekeeper sort of some m some many of them have their own formulas.
00:05:09.940 --> 00:05:15.060
Every participant continued the feeding cycle from the end of population season
00:05:15.260 --> 00:05:22.220
when supplemental feeding normally starts, through the end of the California almond pollinating season.
00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:27.100
Colonies fed the new feed stayed healthier and performed better through winter
00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.240
in the almond pollination season.
00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:40.040
By January, during almond pollination, those colonies had more adult bees, and more of the colonies met the requirements for premium pollination contracts.
00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:44.199
After almond pollination, those colonies survived at higher rates.
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:46.919
Winter mortality dropped from 28.
00:05:46.919 --> 00:05:53.000
8% with the commercial standard diets to 15% with the new feed
00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:56.340
a nearly fifty percent mortality reduction.
00:05:56.340 --> 00:06:06.419
Man Lake wa is now selling this as Apis Bio BioLix Biocontrol, aka Rocket Fuel.
00:06:06.539 --> 00:06:18.860
These studies are referenced at the end notes along with the Honey Bee Health Coalition leaflet written by Pia Brassou of Washington State University University detailing bee nutritional products
00:06:19.139 --> 00:06:23.780
During the spring period of rapid growth, colonies may prepare to swarm.
00:06:23.780 --> 00:06:28.100
Swarming is the bees' method of reproducing the colony.
00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:31.139
Swarming starts by the bees raising new queens
00:06:31.340 --> 00:06:46.060
As bee colonies expand in spring, regular inspections to keep ahead of growth and additional boxes for expansion of the brood and or supers for nectar storage will reduce the chances that bees will start to raise queens.
00:06:45.520 --> 00:06:51.360
Good ventilation within the hive and plenty of cone space for queen egg laying helps too.
00:06:52.080 --> 00:07:00.160
Threats to bee health are both external and internal to the beehive during this spring population increase period.
00:06:59.420 --> 00:07:03.660
A specific disease inspection should be conducted of spring colonies.
00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:08.620
Diseases such as the EFB, chalk brood, and sack brood seldom kill colonies
00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:14.160
but may weaken colonies during the critical spring buildup period, depending upon severity.
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.800
Spring be brings potential exposure to pesticides and poisonous plants.
00:07:18.780 --> 00:07:27.340
and foragers outside the hive face numerous predaceous insects, spiders, and other occasional bee predators that might eat them.
00:07:27.340 --> 00:07:33.660
Health issues may persist in weaker colonies, or show up in colonies that have been started as splits.
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.640
Purchase bees in nucs or packages.
00:07:36.640 --> 00:07:44.960
The spring diseases and the adult fungal disease Nosema disappear as colonies bring in abundant resources and foraging weather improves.
00:07:45.139 --> 00:07:51.060
Colonies around crops and agricultural areas are in greater danger of pesticide loss.
00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:55.540
With peak population, the loss of foragers is less of an issue.
00:07:55.460 --> 00:08:01.300
Toward the end of this period, robbing of a weaker colony by stronger ones is a possibility.
00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:06.340
Queen issues occur as bees seek to replace their single queen.
00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:12.400
Replacement may not be successful, and Queenless colonies will become susceptible to health issues.
00:08:12.400 --> 00:08:19.680
If not supered in a timely fashion, bees backfilling the brood area with their incoming nectar
00:08:20.020 --> 00:08:28.580
occurs in cells the queen could use for eggs, and that will slow development and may lead her to a may lead to a greater profitability of swarming.
00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:34.280
Bee populations that are slow to develop or colonies preparing to swarm are colonies with stress.
00:08:34.280 --> 00:08:39.479
It is important to diagnose reasons for poor or less than expected colony development.
00:08:39.479 --> 00:08:43.479
In some instances it is possible to take remedial action.
00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:49.980
Large spring colonies become very populous and make it difficult to detect developing health issues.
00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:56.620
Large amounts of brood may mean eat more and more opportunity for all mites to increase their population.
00:08:56.540 --> 00:09:06.140
Drone broodable removal initially can be used to assess this reproduction, as well as a means of reducing Varroa reproduction.
00:09:06.140 --> 00:09:09.980
Weaker colonies and new colony starts need continual vigilance
00:09:10.300 --> 00:09:11.580
So what is normal?
00:09:11.580 --> 00:09:14.460
What's normal for spring colony development?
00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:23.820
Assessing which overwintered colonies are strong or weak or just right in delt numbers or brood pop or their brood populations.
00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:33.900
The Goldilocks effect is one of the toughest determinations to make for new and especially inexperienced beekeepers and for beekeepers with just one or two colonies.
00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:35.279
Seasons vary.
00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:42.800
Maintaining more than one colony, plus the experience of different seasons, helps with determining weak versus strong.
00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:45.720
So what is this Goldilocks evaluation?
00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:54.600
Remembering the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears, originally a short story by Robert Southern, a pretty girl, in the original version it was an old lady.
00:09:54.440 --> 00:10:00.120
went into the forest and found a cottage recently vacated by a papa, mamma, and baby bear.
00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.160
Goldilocks saw three bowls of porridge.
00:10:03.160 --> 00:10:04.360
One was too hot
00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:09.920
other one too cold, but the one that was just right she ate it all.
00:10:09.920 --> 00:10:19.360
Our spring colonies might be too strong, or too weak, but hopefully most will be just right.
00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:28.020
I wrote about the Goldilocks effect in the BMD app that you can access on the entry that is seasonal colony management
00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:30.120
uh references in the end notes.
00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:37.959
Common method to determine if a colony is weak or strong is to split the two boxes, assuming the colony was overwintered in two boxes
00:10:38.160 --> 00:10:44.320
what we call clamshelling, and look both below and from above into the top box.
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:50.480
If in doubt, remove frames and actually count frames with active brood rearing.
00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:55.560
If brood occurs on more than half of the frames, consider it a strong colony.
00:10:55.560 --> 00:11:05.160
A weak colony may have brood with barely enough bees to cover unless a quarter of the frames in one box, sometimes in only one or two frames.
00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:14.640
Colony's just right will have brood in both boxes, likely more in the top box, and roughly half the frames will have brood with B's to cover.
00:11:14.540 --> 00:11:18.700
This assessment of size will vary with time of season, of course.
00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:25.420
So determining the optional just right continues with continuing spring inspections.
00:11:25.520 --> 00:11:30.960
Colonies that are strong need to be reduced in both frames of brood and in adult bees.
00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:36.080
Frames can be moved from strong colonies to those that are weaker to strengthen them.
00:11:36.060 --> 00:11:39.260
provided there is no disease issues in that apri.
00:11:39.260 --> 00:11:42.380
Recognizing the difference determines management choice.
00:11:42.380 --> 00:11:45.980
Weak colonies can be stimulated with sugar syrup as well
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:58.880
As spring nectar availability is strong, supers need to be added to stronger colonies to avoid bees using cells the queen might use for egg laying for their storage and ripening of nectar
00:11:58.959 --> 00:12:04.720
I'll cover additional adding and removing supers in Bee Science next month.
00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:13.680
Media posts from local bee clubs can alert individuals to seasons when bees are developing more rapidly, or they are delayed.
00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:15.420
With bees, timing is everything.
00:12:15.420 --> 00:12:20.700
Strong or weak refers to the adult, but also the developing brood population.
00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:26.140
Initially, the adult population is on balance with overwintered older age bees
00:12:26.339 --> 00:12:31.620
Rearing of replacement bees by colonies with the aged adult populations is slower.
00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:38.500
There is variation in queen egg laying with younger aged queens, more likely to be better egg layers
00:12:38.560 --> 00:12:44.000
Locations where early pollen sources are reliable favor faster expansion.
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:51.600
City and suburban sites often have many pollen sources available to bees and are good sites for spring expansion.
00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:57.200
Early spring weather, followed by a cooler, wetter spring, may dampen spring colony expansion.
00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:03.040
Colonies, especially the stronger ones, may starve if they expand too soon, too rapidly.
00:13:02.780 --> 00:13:07.660
and then the weather limits their continued foraging for several consecutive days.
00:13:07.660 --> 00:13:14.540
On the other hand, overstimulation by early feeding of sugar syrup and or the protein supplementation
00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:22.839
While it may help mitigate poor spring weather, it could also lead to colonies growing rapidly and then preparing to swarm.
00:13:22.839 --> 00:13:26.600
Frame manipulations may help both weak and strong colonies
00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:30.660
Transferring frames from stronger to weaker colonies is one option.
00:13:30.660 --> 00:13:35.140
Reducing the space in high boxes may help weaken colonies.
00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:42.800
Use a solid divider board to bring outside walls closer to better confine weaker hives in large boxes.
00:13:42.660 --> 00:13:52.980
Divider and follower boards are essential if you have and manage long hive or top bar B colony, and that is your management.
00:13:53.020 --> 00:14:01.660
Reversing high bodies by moving the top box down to the bottom board and then placing the lowest, now mostly empty box on top.
00:14:01.540 --> 00:14:10.420
helps ensure stronger colonies and main manages uh to the bee preferred tendency to expand by moving upward
00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:21.180
It works well if the bees are solely in a top box, but negatively gives bees double the amount of work if their cluster location at time of reversal
00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:23.060
is between the boxes.
00:14:23.060 --> 00:14:27.300
They've got a t now a top part and a lower part to have to keep warm.
00:14:27.300 --> 00:14:33.940
Adding frames of foundation to stronger colonies and moving the drawn comb frames to weaker colonies is often a benefit
00:14:33.959 --> 00:14:43.640
Later in the spring expansion, assuming the colony is large, a second reversal will not put the colony at risk, as it may for the initial reversal.
00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:55.540
Moving frames of stronger colonies to spread out, that is expand the brood rearing, while often useful, needs that you are mindful of how bees are organizing their nest.
00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:04.160
You can do more harm than good by pushing expansion or doing box reversal too early when resource availability is limited.
00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:10.380
or when weakening colonies may negatively affect your harvestable surplus later in the season.
00:15:10.380 --> 00:15:14.860
Dwindling or collapse is a general catch-all term for
00:15:15.339 --> 00:15:21.420
one the sudden disappearance of bees, either the adult population or into the entire colony.
00:15:21.420 --> 00:15:29.899
Two, slow development of overwintered colonies, or three, spring loss of colonies that initially survived the winter.
00:15:30.020 --> 00:15:36.020
Other names for this condition include disappearing disease, May disease, spring starvation.
00:15:36.020 --> 00:15:39.380
Spring dwindling is more common in colonies that may
00:15:39.839 --> 00:15:47.759
be very weak from winter or in colonies that may have issues with older queens or queen early queen replacement
00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:58.360
In these cases, there usually are too few bees to grow from their weakest winter survival point, and the bees will not be able to take advantage of the flowering resources spring offers
00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:08.760
Colonies may dwindle and develop slowly and may still be in an expanding mode, while other colonies, developing normally, are storing potentially harvestable surplus honey.
00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:15.840
The earth of pollen re result in a reduction of broodering, depending about the amount of the previously stored bee bread.
00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:28.100
Growing spring colony may have a break in the brood cycle due to the colony replacing its queen by a swarming, or, secondly, due to an external factor such as pesticide poisoning.
00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:35.800
This management option of dividing the growing colony by making a split will also create a break in the brood cycle
00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:44.580
Treatment with amitocide, such as formic acid, might also create a brood break cycle that may reduce overall population size.
00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:54.760
A break in a brood cycle may not reduce the potential for a colony to store surplus honey if it occurs close to or during the nectar flow of peak population.
00:16:54.740 --> 00:17:04.100
In fact, it may free bees from nursing duties and then add them to the potential forager population, enabling the colony to store a larger surplus.
00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:14.380
A brood break created for mite treatment would enable use of oxalic acid treatment for the portion of a colony that lacks or has reduced capped brood frames.
00:17:14.260 --> 00:17:26.020
The queenless portion of such a colony will have this break in cat brood following transfer of brood to the split, which will emerge as adults before the newly mated queen can lay enough eggs
00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.400
any eggs develop to the capped brood stage.
00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:40.600
The split will lack cap brood, and then can be treated for mites using oxalic acid, since all the mites will be on adult bees, there being no cap brood for them to reproduce.
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.600
You keep forgotten the beekeeper is management timing.
00:17:43.600 --> 00:17:52.240
A brood break created by the beekeeper can be an effective management, whereas a brood break created by the colony via swarming or preparations for swarming
00:17:52.560 --> 00:17:57.440
may limit the beekeeper from harvesting a potentially larger amount of surplus.
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:04.880
Bluntly, to prevent swarming, keep young queens in your colonies and provide extra brood space before it is needed
00:18:04.860 --> 00:18:10.940
If you see swarm cells, and sooner or later you will see some, make splits and hope for the best.
00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:16.220
Splitting a swarm-inclined colony may only lead to two swarms rather than one.
00:18:16.060 --> 00:18:17.500
Put swarm traps out.
00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:20.620
That's a good use for old retired equipment.
00:18:20.620 --> 00:18:28.540
I don't know if I've ever truly stopped a single swarm from leaving by traumatizing a colony by destroying swarm cells.
00:18:28.360 --> 00:18:33.480
It is a proactive management to attempt to stop swarming before it ever starts.
00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.159
It makes more sense.
00:18:35.159 --> 00:18:36.360
Space matters.
00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:39.780
We should use either follower or divider boards.
00:18:39.780 --> 00:18:49.540
For beekeepers using horizontal hives or those with top bar hives, consider using a follower board to limit the space to a manageable space for the bees
00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:52.620
A divider board is used to separate two hives.
00:18:52.620 --> 00:19:01.740
So if you make nucs within one box, say a long and two-nil hive or a Langstroth 10-frame box, for example, use a divider board.
00:19:01.560 --> 00:19:10.440
A two-frame nuke or a smaller swarm put in an empty 10-frame box or top bar hive will not do as well initially in a big space.
00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:14.360
Limit the space, moving the follower board as the colony grows.
00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:25.520
A 10-frame Langst draw moved the stronger nuke out of the divided box into another box and move the divider board to allow for slow expansion of the weaker hive.
00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.320
Spring.
00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:28.320
Spring is our busiest season.
00:19:28.320 --> 00:19:31.039
Starts slowly but quickly gains momentum.
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.159
We might overmanage our bees with feeding a protein or with our hive space management
00:19:36.260 --> 00:19:40.820
We need to flatten the mic growth curve, but not our B expansion.
00:19:40.820 --> 00:19:48.340
Getting the right balance is delicate, especially because no two springs are exactly the same environmentally.
00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:53.440
Stimulate, transfer frames, weaken colonies considered too strong so they don't swarm.
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.560
Supering.
00:19:55.360 --> 00:19:57.440
Lots on our spring plate.
00:19:57.140 --> 00:20:03.540
The message with this Bee Science is listen often to the bees and treat each colony accordingly.
00:20:03.540 --> 00:20:05.220
And good luck.
00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:08.500
Until next time, be well.
00:00:02.800 --> 00:00:04.240
00:00:04.240 --> 00:00:05.920
00:00:05.920 --> 00:00:09.440
00:00:09.440 --> 00:00:14.720
00:00:15.160 --> 00:00:18.040
00:00:18.040 --> 00:00:19.400
00:00:19.400 --> 00:00:22.520
00:00:22.520 --> 00:00:29.800
00:00:29.940 --> 00:00:34.100
00:00:34.100 --> 00:00:38.660
00:00:38.740 --> 00:00:41.540
00:00:41.540 --> 00:00:43.220
00:00:43.220 --> 00:00:47.540
00:00:47.540 --> 00:00:50.580
00:00:50.580 --> 00:00:53.460
00:00:53.060 --> 00:01:01.220
00:01:01.140 --> 00:01:05.140
00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:07.540
00:01:07.540 --> 00:01:08.420
00:01:09.020 --> 00:01:17.579
00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:20.720
00:01:20.720 --> 00:01:29.040
00:01:29.120 --> 00:01:37.920
00:01:38.260 --> 00:01:48.900
00:01:48.960 --> 00:01:51.840
00:01:51.840 --> 00:01:55.120
00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:02.400
00:02:02.340 --> 00:02:14.660
00:02:14.740 --> 00:02:20.180
00:02:20.180 --> 00:02:26.180
00:02:26.060 --> 00:02:32.939
00:02:32.939 --> 00:02:33.819
00:02:33.819 --> 00:02:35.980
00:02:35.980 --> 00:02:40.860
00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:49.200
00:02:49.440 --> 00:03:01.760
00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:05.120
00:03:05.120 --> 00:03:07.200
00:03:07.200 --> 00:03:10.000
00:03:10.260 --> 00:03:17.700
00:03:17.700 --> 00:03:22.660
00:03:22.760 --> 00:03:27.640
00:03:27.640 --> 00:03:34.200
00:03:34.160 --> 00:03:42.800
00:03:42.740 --> 00:03:53.060
00:03:53.440 --> 00:04:05.280
00:04:05.420 --> 00:04:17.500
00:04:17.620 --> 00:04:32.259
00:04:31.460 --> 00:04:38.740
00:04:38.740 --> 00:04:44.099
00:04:44.420 --> 00:04:48.260
00:04:48.260 --> 00:04:54.100
00:04:54.340 --> 00:05:03.220
00:05:03.060 --> 00:05:04.740
00:05:04.740 --> 00:05:09.699
00:05:09.940 --> 00:05:15.060
00:05:15.260 --> 00:05:22.220
00:05:22.220 --> 00:05:27.100
00:05:27.160 --> 00:05:29.240
00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:40.040
00:05:40.120 --> 00:05:44.199
00:05:44.199 --> 00:05:46.919
00:05:46.919 --> 00:05:53.000
00:05:53.139 --> 00:05:56.340
00:05:56.340 --> 00:06:06.419
00:06:06.539 --> 00:06:18.860
00:06:19.139 --> 00:06:23.780
00:06:23.780 --> 00:06:28.100
00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:31.139
00:06:31.340 --> 00:06:46.060
00:06:45.520 --> 00:06:51.360
00:06:52.080 --> 00:07:00.160
00:06:59.420 --> 00:07:03.660
00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:08.620
00:07:08.560 --> 00:07:14.160
00:07:14.160 --> 00:07:18.800
00:07:18.780 --> 00:07:27.340
00:07:27.340 --> 00:07:33.660
00:07:33.360 --> 00:07:36.640
00:07:36.640 --> 00:07:44.960
00:07:45.139 --> 00:07:51.060
00:07:51.060 --> 00:07:55.540
00:07:55.460 --> 00:08:01.300
00:08:01.300 --> 00:08:06.340
00:08:06.240 --> 00:08:12.400
00:08:12.400 --> 00:08:19.680
00:08:20.020 --> 00:08:28.580
00:08:28.920 --> 00:08:34.280
00:08:34.280 --> 00:08:39.479
00:08:39.479 --> 00:08:43.479
00:08:43.500 --> 00:08:49.980
00:08:49.980 --> 00:08:56.620
00:08:56.540 --> 00:09:06.140
00:09:06.140 --> 00:09:09.980
00:09:10.300 --> 00:09:11.580
00:09:11.580 --> 00:09:14.460
00:09:14.460 --> 00:09:23.820
00:09:23.500 --> 00:09:33.900
00:09:33.920 --> 00:09:35.279
00:09:35.279 --> 00:09:42.800
00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:45.720
00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:54.600
00:09:54.440 --> 00:10:00.120
00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.160
00:10:03.160 --> 00:10:04.360
00:10:04.720 --> 00:10:09.920
00:10:09.920 --> 00:10:19.360
00:10:18.740 --> 00:10:28.020
00:10:28.120 --> 00:10:30.120
00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:37.959
00:10:38.160 --> 00:10:44.320
00:10:44.320 --> 00:10:50.480
00:10:50.440 --> 00:10:55.560
00:10:55.560 --> 00:11:05.160
00:11:05.040 --> 00:11:14.640
00:11:14.540 --> 00:11:18.700
00:11:18.700 --> 00:11:25.420
00:11:25.520 --> 00:11:30.960
00:11:30.960 --> 00:11:36.080
00:11:36.060 --> 00:11:39.260
00:11:39.260 --> 00:11:42.380
00:11:42.380 --> 00:11:45.980
00:11:46.240 --> 00:11:58.880
00:11:58.959 --> 00:12:04.720
00:12:04.720 --> 00:12:13.680
00:12:12.940 --> 00:12:15.420
00:12:15.420 --> 00:12:20.700
00:12:20.700 --> 00:12:26.140
00:12:26.339 --> 00:12:31.620
00:12:31.620 --> 00:12:38.500
00:12:38.560 --> 00:12:44.000
00:12:44.000 --> 00:12:51.600
00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:57.200
00:12:57.200 --> 00:13:03.040
00:13:02.780 --> 00:13:07.660
00:13:07.660 --> 00:13:14.540
00:13:14.600 --> 00:13:22.839
00:13:22.839 --> 00:13:26.600
00:13:26.740 --> 00:13:30.660
00:13:30.660 --> 00:13:35.140
00:13:35.120 --> 00:13:42.800
00:13:42.660 --> 00:13:52.980
00:13:53.020 --> 00:14:01.660
00:14:01.540 --> 00:14:10.420
00:14:10.940 --> 00:14:21.180
00:14:21.620 --> 00:14:23.060
00:14:23.060 --> 00:14:27.300
00:14:27.300 --> 00:14:33.940
00:14:33.959 --> 00:14:43.640
00:14:43.620 --> 00:14:55.540
00:14:55.440 --> 00:15:04.160
00:15:04.060 --> 00:15:10.380
00:15:10.380 --> 00:15:14.860
00:15:15.339 --> 00:15:21.420
00:15:21.420 --> 00:15:29.899
00:15:30.020 --> 00:15:36.020
00:15:36.020 --> 00:15:39.380
00:15:39.839 --> 00:15:47.759
00:15:47.800 --> 00:15:58.360
00:15:58.440 --> 00:16:08.760
00:16:08.560 --> 00:16:15.840
00:16:16.259 --> 00:16:28.100
00:16:28.120 --> 00:16:35.800
00:16:35.860 --> 00:16:44.580
00:16:44.360 --> 00:16:54.760
00:16:54.740 --> 00:17:04.100
00:17:04.140 --> 00:17:14.380
00:17:14.260 --> 00:17:26.020
00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:29.400
00:17:29.400 --> 00:17:40.600
00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:43.600
00:17:43.600 --> 00:17:52.240
00:17:52.560 --> 00:17:57.440
00:17:57.440 --> 00:18:04.880
00:18:04.860 --> 00:18:10.940
00:18:10.940 --> 00:18:16.220
00:18:16.060 --> 00:18:17.500
00:18:17.500 --> 00:18:20.620
00:18:20.620 --> 00:18:28.540
00:18:28.360 --> 00:18:33.480
00:18:33.480 --> 00:18:35.159
00:18:35.159 --> 00:18:36.360
00:18:36.740 --> 00:18:39.780
00:18:39.780 --> 00:18:49.540
00:18:49.740 --> 00:18:52.620
00:18:52.620 --> 00:19:01.740
00:19:01.560 --> 00:19:10.440
00:19:10.440 --> 00:19:14.360
00:19:14.000 --> 00:19:25.520
00:19:25.519 --> 00:19:26.320
00:19:26.320 --> 00:19:28.320
00:19:28.320 --> 00:19:31.039
00:19:31.039 --> 00:19:36.159
00:19:36.260 --> 00:19:40.820
00:19:40.820 --> 00:19:48.340
00:19:48.240 --> 00:19:53.440
00:19:53.440 --> 00:19:54.560
00:19:55.360 --> 00:19:57.440
00:19:57.140 --> 00:20:03.540
00:20:03.540 --> 00:20:05.220
00:20:05.220 --> 00:20:08.500