Why bees fly away from the hive in summer: reasons and how to prevent swarming

The gathering of bees is a fairly common phenomenon that many beekeepers suffer from. It takes place in spring and autumn. In the first case, the rally resembles the departure of a swarm, and in the second, the family leaves honey in the house and leaves the house. At the same time, not every beekeeper knows exactly why the bees fly away from the hive in the summer. The reason for this is various factors - diseases, adverse weather conditions, pest attacks.

Reasons for the gathering of bees

The sudden gathering of bees from their homes is called swarming. Insects leave the hive together with the queen. At the same time, the swarm and printed brood remain. There may be no apparent reason for swarming. However, most often this happens under the influence of the following factors:

• lack of storage space for nectar due to overcrowding;
• hive overheating or drafts;
• lack of honey plants near the hive;
• wrong choice of material for the construction of the hive;
• aging uterus;
• dead in honey, which is stored for the winter;
• adverse electromagnetic field.

Diseases

Problems can be caused by a virus or infection. Most often, pathologies are accompanied by deformation of the wings. The most common infectious disease that is characteristic of bees is melanosis. Pathology causes the death of the uterus, which leads to a stop in the reproduction of the swarm.

The disease is caused by moldy fungi. They often accumulate in the epithelium of the oviduct and inhibit the laying of eggs. In this case, the uterus loses its mobility, and its abdomen increases. As a result, the swarm pushes the queen out of the hive, and she dies. There is also a risk of swarming.

Temperature

In abnormally warm weather, insects begin to move actively. As a result, they spend the substances prepared in the body. In addition, premature wear of the bees occurs. As a result, the bees die en masse. There is also a high probability of their gathering.

Pests

Varroa mites increase in late summer. They cause suppression of the immunity of bees and lead to the spread of dangerous pathologies. To avoid swarming, you need to take preventive measures. For this, the hive needs to be treated with special chemicals. To eliminate ticks, you should use Timol or Fumagol.

Incorrect nutrition

The cause of problems may be excessive feeding with sugar syrup. This negatively affects the immune system of individuals and increases their susceptibility to the influence of external factors. Experts advise feeding insects with sugar syrup no later than the third decade of August, when their pharyngeal glands continue to work actively and saturate the substance with enzymes.

How to prevent the gathering of bees

If bees fly out of the nest, action should be taken immediately. To do this, you need to systematically monitor the behavior of the family in different life cycles. It is also necessary to take a very responsible attitude to the construction of the hive. The use of quality materials is of great importance. You should also arrange periodic checks of the hive for honeydew.

With increased tick activity, preventive treatments are required. This helps prevent swarm weakening due to disease. It is important not to overfeed the bees. If swarming is suspected, the diet is recommended to be reduced several times.

Be sure to check the surroundings for foreign odors. They can provoke a change in the place of residence of the swarm. If there are annoying factors around the nest, the hive should be moved to another place.

Bee rally is considered a fairly common problem faced by many beekeepers. To deal with swarming, it is important to identify and eliminate the causes of its occurrence.

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