Colony Reproduction and Expansion
Swarm management in Kora provides comprehensive swarm event documentation. Record natural swarms and their capture. Document artificial splits for controlled colony increase. Track new colony establishment. Manage swarm prevention measures. Link swarm events to source and destination hives. Swarming is the natural reproduction process for honey bee colonies. A portion of the colony (including the old queen) leaves to establish a new nest. Strategic swarm management turns natural colony reproduction into productive expansion while preventing unwanted losses.
This section explains how swarm events are documented. What swarm information is tracked. How swarm management supports controlled apiary growth.
What is a Swarm Event?
A swarm event documents colony reproduction through swarming or splitting:
- Swarm types: Primary swarm, secondary swarm, cast, absconding, captured wild swarm, artificial split
- Source hive: Which colony produced the swarm (if known)
- Swarm details: Size, queen presence, bee count estimates
- Location information: Where swarm located, GPS coordinates
- Capture details: How swarm captured and method used
- New colony establishment: Whether swarm successfully established as new hive
- Swarm prevention: Measures attempted to prevent swarming
Why swarm tracking matters: Colony accounting (documenting colony losses and gains). Hive expansion (turning swarms into productive new colonies). Genetics preservation (capturing swarms from productive hives maintains valuable genetics). Prevention analysis (understanding which hives swarm despite prevention efforts). Timing patterns (identifying seasonal swarm trends for better management).
Example swarm scenarios:
Natural Swarm (Lost Colony):
Hive MV-005 swarmed June 10 despite prevention attempts
Loss: Original hive population reduced 40-50%
Impact: MV-005 production significantly reduced (rebuilding colony)
Lesson: Swarm prevention inadequate, more aggressive intervention needed
Natural Swarm (Captured):
Hive MV-007 swarmed June 15, swarm captured same day
Capture: Swarm settled in tree 50 metres from apiary, captured within 3 hours
Result: New hive MV-020 established from captured swarm
Outcome: Colony loss prevented, apiary gained productive hive
Artificial Split (Planned Expansion):
Hive MV-003 very strong, high swarm risk
Action: Artificial split performed May 20 (before natural swarm)
Result: MV-003 split into two colonies (original MV-003 + new MV-021)
Outcome: Prevented swarm loss, controlled expansion, maintained production
Swarm Types
Different swarm classifications:
Primary Swarm: First swarm from colony (old queen leaves with ~50% of bees). Most common swarm type. Usually largest swarm (strong queen, substantial bee population).
Secondary Swarm (Afterswarm): Second or subsequent swarms from same colony. Smaller than primary swarm. Virgin queen leads swarm (young queen, not yet mated). Weakens original colony significantly.
Cast: Small swarm with virgin queen. Similar to secondary swarm. Often occurs if colony produces multiple virgin queens.
Absconding: Entire colony abandons hive (all bees leave). Usually stress-response (starvation, disease, excessive disturbance). Different from swarming (not reproductive, survival response).
Captured Wild Swarm: Swarm from unknown source (feral colony, neighbour's hive). Unknown genetics and disease history. Quarantine recommended until health verified.
Artificial Split: Beekeeper-managed colony division. Controlled swarm prevention through planned splitting. Creates new colony while maintaining original hive.
Example swarm type documentation:
Primary Swarm:
Source Hive: MV-006
Swarm Date: 2024-06-12
Swarm Type: Primary
Details: "Old marked queen observed in swarm. Approximately 20,000-25,000
bees (large primary swarm). Source hive had queen cells present
during last inspection (swarm anticipated but not prevented)."
Artificial Split:
Source Hive: MV-003 (very strong colony, swarm prevention)
Swarm Date: 2024-05-18 (pre-emptive split before natural swarm)
Swarm Type: Artificial Split (planned colony division)
Split Method: "Removed 5 frames brood, 2 frames honey/pollen, 2 frames empty
foundation from MV-003. Added to new hive MV-019 with
purchased mated queen. Original MV-003 retained queen,
remaining brood, and majority of population."
Swarm Details and Assessment
Recording swarm characteristics:
Swarm Information: Swarm Size (small, medium, large estimates). Queen Present (whether queen observed in swarm). Queen Marked (if queen marked, identifies source hive if mark colour known). Estimated Bee Count (rough population estimate: 10,000 to 30,000+ bees).
Location Information: Swarm Location (where swarm settled: tree branch, fence, building). GPS Coordinates (precise swarm location, especially for wild captures). Location Description (height, accessibility, surrounding environment). Height from Ground (how high swarm clustered, affects capture difficulty).
Example swarm details:
Swarm Details - Captured June 15, 2024:
Swarm Size: Large
Estimated Bee Count: 25,000-30,000 bees (softball-to-basketball size cluster)
Assessment: "Substantial swarm, primary swarm from strong colony"
Queen Present: Yes
Queen Marked: No (unmarked queen, not from marked apiary colonies)
Origin: "Unmarked queen suggests wild or feral source, not from current
apiary stock. Unknown genetics."
Swarm Location: "Oak tree in pasture, 150 metres northeast of apiary"
GPS Coordinates: 37.7756°N, 122.4195°W
Location Description: "Large oak tree, swarm clustered on branch 3 metres
from trunk, facing south. Open pasture, easy access."
Height from Ground: 2.5 metres (within reach with ladder)
Environmental Conditions:
Temperature: 24°C, sunny, calm winds
Assessment: "Ideal capture conditions. Swarm calm, accessible height."
Swarm Capture Details
Documenting how swarm captured and hived:
Capture Information: Capture Date (when swarm captured). Capture Method (how bees collected: shake into box, brush, vacuum, etc.). Captured By (who performed capture). Time Taken to Capture (duration of capture process). Successfully Recovered (whether capture successful).
Example capture documentation:
Swarm Capture - June 15, 2024:
Capture Date: 2024-06-15 (same day as swarm date)
Timeline: "Swarm first observed 10:30 AM. Capture initiated 2:00 PM
(allowing swarm to settle fully). Completed by 3:30 PM."
Capture Method: "Branch-shake into nuc box"
Process: "Positioned nuc box (5-frame nucleus hive) under swarm cluster.
Sharp shake of branch knocked majority of bees into box.
Remaining bees brushed gently into box. Box placed near original
cluster location, entrance open. Stragglers flew to box joining
cluster over next 30 minutes. Box closed once all bees inside."
Captured By: John Smith
Time Taken to Capture: 1.5 hours (including setup, capture, straggler collection)
Successfully Recovered: Yes
Capture Success Indicators:
- Queen entered box (verified by bee clustering behaviour)
- Majority of bees collected (minimal bees remaining on branch)
- Bees calm, clustering normally in box
- No signs of absconding (bees remained in box evening/overnight)
Transport to Apiary:
"Nuc box moved to apiary location at dusk (all foragers returned).
Established as new hive MV-020 following day. Hive entrance opened
at new location, bees oriented successfully."
New Colony Establishment
Tracking swarm integration as new hive:
Establishment Information: New Colony Established (Yes/No). Establishment Date (when swarm hived as new colony). New Hive ID (hive code assigned to swarm-origin colony). New Apiary (where colony placed). Colony Location (position within apiary).
Example colony establishment:
New Colony from Captured Swarm:
New Colony Established: Yes
Establishment Date: 2024-06-16 (day after capture)
New Hive Details:
Hive Code: MV-020 (Meadowview Apiary, Hive 20)
Hive Type: Langstroth (10-frame)
Starting Configuration: 1 brood chamber (5 frames from nuc, 5 frames added)
New Apiary: Meadowview Apiary
Hive Location: Row 3, Position 5 (available apiary spot)
Initial Setup:
"Swarm transferred from nuc box to standard 10-frame Langstroth brood box.
5 frames from nuc (bees clustered on frames) placed in centre. 5 frames
foundation added (2 each side for expansion). Feeder installed with 1:1
sugar syrup (colony has no stores, building new comb requires nutrition)."
Early Establishment Monitoring:
Day 1: Bees orienting, foraging activity observed
Day 3: Comb building initiated on new frames
Day 7: Queen confirmed laying (eggs observed in new comb)
Day 14: Brood capping observed, colony establishing successfully
Day 30: Colony covering 8 frames, strong population growth
Assessment: "Successful colony establishment. Swarm integrated well,
queen productive, population building rapidly. Expect normal
productivity by second season."
Swarm Prevention Measures
Documenting prevention attempts:
Prevention Information: Swarm Prevention Attempted (Yes/No). Prevention Measures (what actions taken to prevent swarming). Success/Failure (whether prevention effective).
Example prevention documentation:
Swarm Prevention Attempt - Hive MV-005:
Swarm Prevention Attempted: Yes
Prevention Measures Taken:
1. Weekly inspections during swarm season (May-June)
"Systematic monitoring for queen cell development"
2. Queen cell removal (May 5, May 12, May 19)
"Destroyed 3-5 queen cells each inspection preventing swarm preparation"
3. Super addition (May 20)
"Added second honey super providing additional space for nectar storage
and bee expansion (congestion triggers swarming)"
4. Entrance expansion (May 15)
"Increased entrance size improving ventilation (overheating/congestion
reduction)"
Prevention Result: FAILED
Swarm Date: 2024-06-10
Analysis: "Despite weekly inspections and queen cell removal, colony
swarmed. Very strong colony with persistent swarm tendency.
Prevention measures delayed but did not prevent swarm."
Lessons Learned:
"MV-005 has strong swarm genetics. Next season: perform preemptive
artificial split in early May (before swarm cells develop) rather
than attempting suppression. Swarm prevention alone insufficient
for colonies with strong reproductive drive."
Alternative for Future:
"Artificial split recommended for MV-005 or similar colonies. Splitting
provides controlled expansion while satisfying colony's reproductive
tendency, preventing natural swarm losses."
Artificial Splits
Documenting planned colony division:
Split Documentation: Artificial Split (Yes, swarm type classification). Split Method (how colony divided). Frames of Brood Moved (brood transferred to new colony). Frames of Honey Moved (food stores for new colony). Queen Introduction (whether new queen introduced or colony develops own).
Example artificial split:
Artificial Split - Hive MV-003:
Source Hive: MV-003 (very strong colony, identified swarm risk)
Split Date: 2024-05-18 (proactive split before natural swarming)
Artificial Split: Yes
Swarm Type: Artificial Split (planned division)
Split Method: "5-frame nucleus split with purchased queen"
Frames Moved to New Colony (Hive MV-019):
Frames of Brood: 3 frames (containing eggs, larvae, capped brood)
Frames of Honey/Pollen: 2 frames (food stores for new colony)
Total Frames Moved: 5 frames
Remaining in Source Hive (MV-003):
Frames of Brood: 4 frames (adequate brood for continued production)
Original Queen: Retained in MV-003
Population: Majority of adult bees (source hive remains strong)
New Colony Setup (MV-019):
Queen Introduction: Purchased mated Italian queen (introduced in candy cage)
Queen Acceptance: Successful (queen released after 3 days, laying by day 7)
Feed Provided: 2 litres sugar syrup 1:1 (supporting colony build-up)
Split Results:
Source Hive (MV-003): Remained productive, no swarm (split satisfied
reproductive tendency). Honey production reduced 20%
first season but recovered fully second season.
New Hive (MV-019): Established successfully. Light honey production first
season (~15kg). Full production expected second season.
Overall: "Successful split. Prevented swarm loss while creating productive
new colony. Combined production (MV-003 + MV-019) exceeded
single-hive potential long-term."
Post-Swarm Source Hive Management
Documenting source hive status after swarm:
Source Hive Actions: Actions on Source Hive (interventions following swarm departure). Source Hive Requeened (whether new queen introduced). Requeening Date (when requeening performed).
Example post-swarm management:
Source Hive Management - MV-006 After Swarm:
Swarm Date: 2024-06-12 (primary swarm departed)
Post-Swarm Assessment (June 14, 2 days after swarm):
Population: Reduced approximately 40% (typical for primary swarm loss)
Queen Status: Multiple queen cells present (colony raising new queen)
Brood: All life stages present (eggs from departed queen)
Stores: Adequate food for remaining population
Actions on Source Hive:
1. Queen cell reduction (June 14)
"Reduced to 2 queen cells (prevent secondary swarms/afterswarms).
Destroyed excess cells."
2. Monitoring for virgin queen emergence (June 18-25)
"Virgin queen expected to emerge June 18-20 (16 days after eggs laid)"
3. Mating flight monitoring (June 25-July 5)
"Virgin queen mating flights, weather permitting. 7-14 day mating period."
4. Queen laying confirmation (July 8)
"Eggs observed in cells. New queen successfully mated and laying."
Source Hive Requeened: No (colony raised own replacement queen successfully)
Post-Swarm Recovery:
Population rebuild: 4-6 weeks for full recovery
Production impact: Minimal honey production June-July (rebuilding population)
Fall assessment: Colony strong entering winter, adequate stores
Next season: Normal production expected (colony fully recovered)
Alternative Action (if queen failure):
"If new queen failed to mate or establish, requeening with purchased queen
would be necessary by late July. Natural requeening successful in this case."
Swarm Losses vs. Captures
Tracking colony accounting:
Example swarm accounting:
Swarm Events Summary - 2024 Season:
Natural Swarms from Apiary (Losses):
MV-005: Swarmed June 10 (not captured, loss)
MV-006: Swarmed June 12 (not captured, loss)
Total Losses: 2 swarms
Natural Swarms from Apiary (Captured):
MV-007: Swarmed June 15 (captured, established as MV-020)
Total Captures: 1 swarm (loss prevented)
Wild Swarms Captured:
Unknown source: June 20 (established as MV-021)
Total Wild Captures: 1 swarm
Artificial Splits (Planned Expansion):
MV-003: Split May 18 (new colony MV-019)
MV-001: Split May 25 (new colony MV-018)
Total Planned Splits: 2 colonies
Net Colony Change from Swarm Management:
Starting Hives: 18
Swarm Losses: -2 (uncaptured natural swarms)
Swarm Gains: +2 (1 own capture + 1 wild capture)
Artificial Splits: +2 (planned expansion)
Ending Hives: 20 (net gain of 2 colonies)
Analysis: "Effective swarm management. Prevented complete loss from swarming
through captures and splits. Expanded apiary from 18 to 20 hives
while maintaining productive core colonies."
Integration with Hive Records
Swarm events link to hive management:
Source Hive → Swarm → New Hive Relationship:
Hive MV-003 (Source Hive):
└── Artificial Split (May 18, 2024)
└── New Hive MV-019 Created
Complete Documentation Chain:
- MV-003 inspection history showing strong colony/swarm risk
- Split decision documented with justification
- Split process detailed (frames moved, queen introduction)
- MV-019 establishment tracked from split
- Both colonies' subsequent histories maintained separately
- Genetic relationship preserved (MV-019 originated from MV-003)