Bees are swarming and honey jars overflowing... it must be springtime!

Flow Beekeeping Live with Cedar
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This week’s live Q & A was little pot of spring time, with a live swarm (a practice swarm as it turned out) happening in the background and honey flowing abundantly…

Plus Cedar answers questions on topics such as harvesting, splits, swarming, pheromones, nucs, and more. I hope you enjoy this spring Q & A - and as always, if you’d like some more information on any of the topics raised, please let us know.

Also - is anyone able to respond to the question about mites? We are fortunate not to get them here (for now at least…) - Thanks!

Here is the recording:

And the transcript:

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You should NOT fog/vaporize with a super on. Flow super or traditional. It increases the hive volume and results in a lower dose of miticide for the bees. The only treatments that can be used with a super in place are formic acid strips and hopguard. Everything else needs to be done before or after supering.

:wink:

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Thanks for the recommendation Dawn!

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It isn’t really me. These are the total professionals in the US, and this is their summary of what you can and can’t do with a super on the hive, when considering mite management:

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That looks like a handy resource - thanks for sharing Dawn :slight_smile:

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My only comment is on the title of the topic, not the video.

If we let our bees swarm, that will put a stop to the honey jars overflowing, for the time being, or quite a while, or not even in the current season.

If we manage swarms, the honey jars will still fill.

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Hi Jeff,
Yes I get where you are coming from.
In this case there was a practice swarm while the harvest was happening on a different hive.
Our hives are pretty well managed with pre-emptive splits at this time of year, but in the busy season we still see the odd one slip through! (Luckily we have quite a few people on staff ready to capture ours if needed). You are correct to point out that good hive management through splits should both reduce the likelihood of swarming and maximise the chances of being able to harvest.

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