Demaree method

Swarm Prevention: Keeping Your Bees From Leaving

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A teardrop-shaped cluster of honey bees swarming on a tree branch with a soft green background, representing a natural swarm event.

One of the most frustrating things in beekeeping is watching half of your strongest colony leave. You’ve nurtured them all year, made it through winter, and now just as the hive is hitting its stride, they decide to take off. Swarming is a natural part of colony reproduction, but as a beekeeper, it’s something I … Read more

The Demaree Method: Swarm Control Without Splitting Your Colony

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Close-up of bees landing and taking off at the entrance of a weathered blue-green beehive during active foraging season.

Swarming can rob you of half a colony right at the peak of spring buildup. If you’ve ever opened a hive and found queen cells while the original queen is still inside, you know you’re on borrowed time. One strategy that many beekeepers use to interrupt swarm behavior without actually splitting the colony is the … Read more