Friday Featured Video: Bee Colony Swarming and Swarm Management

by | Feb 7, 2025 | Beekeeping, Feature Video, Livestock

This week’s featured video was published by the UF Honeybee Lab to discuss a major concern of beekeepers.  Bee colonies have a natural instinct to swarm or divide to produce new colonies.  Beekeepers generally want to control their bee populations, so they utilize several management techniques that reduce the desire to swarm.

Swarming is among the strongest instincts in honeybee colonies. Swarms typically happen in the weeks leading up to the spring nectar flow or even during the nectar flow, causing a significant reduction in honey production. In this episode of the UF/IFAS Beekeeping Academy series, Dr. Ellis explains why beekeepers should manage swarming and shares some swarm control tips/tricks.

Watch the 14-minute video to hear Dr. Ellis explain this natural colony behavior and the methods beekeepers can utilize to minimize the natural swarming instincts of queens in their colonies.  You may also want to read the UF/IFAS Publication on this topic:  Swarm Control for Managed Beehives

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If you enjoyed this video, you might want to check the other 300+ YouTube videos highlighted in the  Friday Feature Archive

If you come across an interesting, inspiring, humorous or innovative video related to agriculture, please send in a link, so we can share it with our readers.  Use the share button from the YouTube or Facebook video you like and send the link via email to:  Doug Mayo

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