A large high-pressure system has come from the Australian continent, and the weather has been stable lately. Until yesterday, strong spring  winds had been blowing, but today is particularly calm and warm. I had a feeling that something might happen on a day like this, and that intuition  turned out to be correct. Yes, the beekeeping phenomenon known as swarming occurred. A swarm of bees hung down in a large mass from the grapevine trellis near the hive, forming a tight cluster. If I didn’t act quickly, they might  escape, so I swiftly prepared an empty hive and fixed it directly beneath the cluster of bees. I then shook the branch where the bees were hanging  to dislodge them.  Since the queen is usually in the middle of the swarm, once she is inside, the rest will follow—and just like that, a new colony can be established.

As I have mentioned about swarming before, when the hive becomes full of stored honey and larvae, the bees begin preparing for a split.  To create a new queen, the bees construct queen cells, which are special brood cells where the queen will develop. They feed the larvae royal  jelly to ensure that the queen will grow. At this stage, the old queen, along with nearly half of the bees in the hive, will leave to form a new colony.  They often have the habit of temporarily settling on a nearby shrub or tree before leaving. By capturing this swarm and housing  it, you can successfully increase the number of colonies. Swarming colonies, in particular, tend to stay in the hive once captured and will usually grow the colony steadily. These swarms tend to establish  themselves as strong, independent colonies, as they work hard to become self-sufficient. 

It is possible to artificially create a queen bee to increase the number of colonies, but swarms that occur naturally tend to have much stronger  colony strength. However, if swarming happens too frequently, the entire colony can become weakened. Therefore, it is important not to neglect  regular hive inspections. When queen cells are found, they must be removed. Even with careful attention, situations like the one I encountered  today are common. Fortunately, I discovered the swarm early this time, so it was a lucky situation. Warm, windless spring days require special caution.

If the queen bee is not in the swarm that has fallen, the worker bees will not enter the hive. Instead, they will fly around and reassemble near  the queen bee, so the same process must be repeated to capture them. If this isn’t done quickly, the scout bees, which have already located  a new potential home, will lead the swarm away, so prompt action is crucial. Once the bees are safely housed in the hive, it’s a relief. From  there, as long as the hive is managed normally, there shouldn’t be any issues. During the swarming season, nectar sources are abundant, and  the colony will naturally build itself. The original hive will produce a new queen, and after mating, she will begin laying eggs, allowing the colony  to develop as a regular hive again.