Who would be thinking about leaving a warm, cozy hive to venture out and find a new home on these cooooold days? In just a few weeks, honey bees will be doing exactly that.

Various triggers prompt honey bees to swarm. As the population inside their home grows, they feel crowded, and the strength of the queen’s pheromones starts to get diluted. At the same time, more foragers bring resources back to the colony, leading to an abundance of resources that feed their need to find a new place.

Although swarming is naturally what a successful honey bee colony wants to do, it is not ideal for a beekeeper. To help prepare you to manage the swarming season, I invite you to our upcoming workshop on Swarm and Colony Management, which is the second workshop in our beginner beekeeping series.  This workshop will train you to recognize signs that your colony may be preparing to swarm and how to make splits properly and timely.

To register visit https://swarmcontrol26.eventbrite.com (limited to the first 30 participants)

• Date: Feb, 21st
• Time: 9 AM – 12 pm
• Location: UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab located at 1881 Natural Area Drive, Gainesville, FL 32611 (the building with yellow hexagonal windows )

See you there!

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