These low-hanging queen cells are aptly referred to as swarm cells. Queen cells built at the base of the frames can be a sign that the colony is strong in numbers, crowded and preparing to swarm. These supercedure cells are often found in the middle of the frames. Supercedure cells are formed when a queen has been injured, contracted a disease, or is aging and no longer able to support hive growth. The location of the queen cells can sometimes indicate what is happening inside the hive. The large size of the cell is to accommodate the development of the new queen bee. Queen cells are easy to spot, they are long and shaped like a peanut, and appear to hang down from the comb (Figure 2). Long peanut shaped cells in the center of the photo are queen cells (circled). This process of rearing of a new queen can set brood production back by over a month. In the hive that was left behind, a new queen will be reared, hatch, make a mating flight, and hopefully return to start building up the existing colony. The swarm will fly for short distances, landing and regrouping as they look for a new home (Figure 1). When the colony does decide to swarm, the bees cluster around the queen to protect her. As bees prepare to swarm, you will see bees gathering at the front of the hive and flying in mass numbers, in what looks like a bee frenzy. Once the colony decides to swarm, several things are known to happen in the hive: 1) worker bees begin to reduce the food for the queen, helping her lose weight so that she can fly 2) new queen cells, called swarm cells, are constructed in order to feed and raise a new queen. However, the exact mechanism that triggers the swarm’s departure from the hive has not been fully identified.
There are many factors that contribute to swarming behavior such as rising populations, limited space, overabundance of food resources, and the age of the queen. Splitting your hives in anticipation of swarming can help reduce the negative effects of swarming, giving bees a chance to build up resources and strength before the next winter. Colonies that swarm are often left with limited resources, do not produce much honey, and can be rendered too weak to overwinter. Swarming is when bees naturally divide the existing colony roughly in half, with half the bees remaining in the hive and the other half leaving (with the queen) to look for new accommodations. Warming late spring temperatures mark the beginning of swarm season in Utah, especially for beehives that have successfully overwintered. Once the queen moves inside the box, the remaining bees will follow her inside. A captured swarm of bees moving into a nuc box.
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