In about midsummer, a busy, well kept and well organised
hive will often approach a crisis point. 50,000 or so
workers have brought back to the hive large quantities of
nectar and pollen, and all vacant cells are overflowing.
The Queen has increased by many thousands the number of her
brood, and now finds herself encroached upon, and pushed
for space in her domain. The combs are fully occupied, and
the hive is crowded to the point where the "fanner" bees
are finding it all but impossible to ventilate the hive
properly, and returning bees are reluctant to enter the
hive and add to the chaos.
Within a week a freshly hatching brood will add to the
congestion. Something must be done, and done quickly. For
in the world of the bee inactivity (except in winter) is
unheard of.
So the bees prepare to swarm. Those bees which are to
remain with the hive must have a Queen to raise the new
colony. The original Queen will go with the swarm.
However, in the way of the bee, many new Queens are
prepared, to cover any eventuality. The workers construct
special cells by sacrificing other cells around them. These
special cells are larger, with thicker walls.
Into these cells the existing Queen lays eggs which in the
normal course of events would produce worker bees. However,
the nurse bees feed these eggs with richer food, and more
of it, enlarge the cells more as the larvae grow. Until the
cells are capped, with the new virgin Queens emerging in a
week.
Meanwhile, the old Queen becomes increasingly restless, and
the old order of things begins to break down. The
temperature rises to a point where things are all but
intolerable and the bees swarm from the hive. When the
Queen leaves the hive and settles in some nearby tree or
bush the bees cluster around her. This is the time that the
beekeeper, if he has been watchful, can gather them up and
transport them to a new hive to start anew. Otherwise,
within a short time scouts will have found a new permanent
home, and the swarm will be lost.
The original hive, now depleted by more than half, now
returns to it's life as though nothing had happened. A few
days later the strongest of the new Queens-to-be lets it be
known that she is ready to emerge. She cuts the capping of
her cell and emerges. Her first act is to feed voraciously
upon the nearest honey cell. She then devotes her attention
to her sisters, finding all the other Queen cells, ripping
them open and killing her rivals. If she is not quick
enough, or is not allowed by the other bees, she will wait
to fight to the death any other potential Queens that may
emerge. Failing that, she may abdicate her position and
join an "after-swarm". The bee law remains intact. "One
Queen, one kingdom" (probably should be Queendom really).
----------------------------------------------------
Chris Haycock is a successful information publisher with
many hobbies and interests. One such interest is the
fascinating world of beekeeping. If you would like to find
out more you should go to http://secretsofbeekeeping.com
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