# Preventing swarming when I am out of hives



## Terri (May 10, 2002)

I was poking around a hive, looking for eggs to give to my queenless nuc,but I did not see any. I did come across what I think is a swarm cell. The cell has just been started, but it is on the bottom of a frame, pointing downwards, and has food in it. So I gave it to my queenless nuc.

Splitting the hive to prevent swarming would be a pain as I am out of lids and bottoms.

Now my bees are mostly for pollination, and it would not hurt me if the bees swarmed, but bees are worth good money and the neighbors might not be pleased. I would rather prevent the swarm if I could.

Can this swarm be prevented without doing (another) split?


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

If you found swarm cells it is most likely you will have to do another hive or nuc.

Once I find a swarm cell I start looking for the queen. find her and put her in a hive then take a few frames of brood and shake a bunch of bees in to make a artificial swarm. I tried to remove all the cells but it always seemed I could never find them all. Making a quick bottom board is easy to do and any old cover will work for a short time a piece of ply wood.

Add honey supers to give them room so they will not want to swarm in the first place.

 Al


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

I hope you do well with bees. Between little brother and myself we have lost a couple dozen. Mostly bear. We made the mistake of trying to work with NH Fish and Game. Basically it was a 'tough luck' story. 

Then came the day. "You have 2 dead bears and 6 dead deer to pick up". 
This was early morning twilight. Morning twilight is my time. 

Oh, the noise. Blah blah blah. I got a call back from Sgt. A##s saying I was to cease and desist. Well. not hardly little sister. Figured I'd been abused enough by politicos. I got hold of USDA Wildlife Services. We set a meeting date and they got a tour. Bears won that time. Next time too. Enough.


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

krackin said:


> I hope you do well with bees. Between little brother and myself we have lost a couple dozen. Mostly bear. We made the mistake of trying to work with NH Fish and Game. Basically it was a 'tough luck' story.
> 
> Then came the day. "You have 2 dead bears and 6 dead deer to pick up".
> This was early morning twilight. Morning twilight is my time.
> ...


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## ed/La (Feb 26, 2009)

Hard enough to keep bees without bears eating them. Perhaps a chain link or cattle panel kennel type enclosure for your hives. Good luck you can do it.


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## krackin (Nov 2, 2014)

The only solution I have seen is what a couple of my buddies do and have hives in their barn lofts. Extra care must be taken for cooling and getting too warm too soon late winter. 

I will probably end up doing that. I don't give up easily. Ma called it being determined, dad said it was sand, same as grit I guess. Some call it bullheaded and stubborn. Wouldn't be worth doing if it was easy, would it?


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## Jenn (Nov 9, 2004)

I know families who've just had to get out of the honey business once the bears found their hives.


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## alleyyooper (Apr 22, 2005)

Is easy to put up a electric fence with a really hot charger to keep bears from the bees. Some of the hot chargers on a double strand of electric fence will burn the hair off a bear.

 Al


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