Management during the build-up seeks to provide space for the expanding brood nest in order to allow the colony to build up to its maximum population for the main nectar flow. Manipulations need to be made several times during the period to p-event the brood nest from becoming honey bound.

As the brood nest grows, it becomes crowded with brood, and the space available for the queen to lay eggs becomes limited. The brood nest becomes bounded by honey. The colony can expand the brood nest area by using the honey in the adjacent cells, but this is a relatively slow process.

By putting empty top bars or combs adjacent to the brood nest, you can quickly increase the area of the brood nest and alleviate the crowding. This manipulation allows the colony to build up both to a higher population and earlier than if it were left alone.

Space for the brood nest also helps to control swarming. For bee-havers, swarming is considered desirable, since it is the only way they know to increase their colonies. Swarming is undesirable for beekeepers, however, as swarms are often lost, and the reduction in colony population before the nectar flow prevents a good honey flow from the colony.

Swarming cannot be completely prevented, but it can be controlled. Beekeepers can divide their colonies to increase the number. They can control the process, doing it when they choose without the risk of losing a swarm.

If queen cells are found in a strong colony during the build-up period, the colony is probably preparing to swarm. Such queen cells are often called swarm cells and are normally found along the edges of the comb. If the colony has started the swarming process, there are two management options to prevent loss of the swarm. Either try to prevent swarming by destroying the queen cells and moving the colony, or divide the colony (artificial swarming).

Managing a honey-bound brood nest
(side view of hive)

	1) Honey-bound brood nest.
	2) Remove two honey combs from the side of the brood nest and also remove two empty combs of top bars.
	3) Put honey combs where the empty top bars were, or they can be harvested.
	4) Move the brood combs to make a space for an empty top bar at both edges of the brood nest.
	5) Place empty top bars at the edges of the brood nest.

Once the colony has begun the swarming process it is often difficult to stop it. Try to prevent swarming first by destroying all of the queen cells in the colony. Then switch the location of the colony which was preparing to swarm with that of a weaker colony in the apiary. Foraging bees will return to the hive site to which they were oriented. A colony-preparing to swarm is a strong colony. Thus by switching the hives, the strong colony will lose bees and the weaker one will gain them.

Switching colonies during build-up or flow conditions will not lead to fighting between the returning foragers and the strange hive bees. The foragers are returning with nectar and pollen, thus they will be readily accepted in the new hive.

Destruction of the queen cells combined with the loss of foragers will usually stop the swarming impulse in the colony. (Check the colony a few days later and destroy any new queen cells.)

Exchanging the location of colonies is an easy practice to equalize colony populations. It is good management to have colonies of similar strength in an apiary as this minimizes robbing.

Another way of equalizing colony populations in an apiary is to give combs of brood without adults to weak colonies to help them build up quicker. Be careful not to give a colony more brood than it can care for. Sealed brood which will soon emerge is best for this purpose since it only needs minimal care from the colony.

Switching hive locations

	1) Before switching, hive 1 is strong and hive 2 is weak.
	2) After switching, hive 1 becomes a little weaker, but hive 2 becomes a lot stronger.

Dividing colonies or artificial swarming is another way to deal with colonies which are preparing to swarm. This is essentially the swarming process carried out under the control of the beekeeper. It is the most practical method for small farmers to increase the number of hives in their apiaries.

Strong colonies can be stimulated to construct queen cells and to rear queens if the queen is removed. These emergency queen cells are used to make further colony divisions if desired. The treatment of the queen cells and the process of division are the same whether swarm cells or emergency queen cells are used.

Divisions made with swarm cells rarely yield surplus honey. Swarming normally occurs soon before the main flow, thus divisions made with swarm cells do not have time to build up. Take care that such divisions have sufficient provisions to make it through the next dearth period.

The best time to divide colonies is early in build-up periods. If made early enough, the colony may build up sufficiently to produce some surplus honey.

Making divisions is always done at the expense of honey production from those hives. Remember that strong colonies yield more honey in relation to effort and equipment than weaker ones. The decision to divide colonies should center on the objective of the operation. is it to produce bees or to produce honey?

Making a division

	1) Begin with a strong colony.
	2) Take at least two combs of sealed brood and at least two combs of honey from the colony.
	3) Trnsfer these combs with the bees and brush some more bees from a few other combs into the new hive. Put the brood combs between the honey combs to insulate the brood nest.
	4) Add queen cells to the new colony. These may be on a comb or they can be cut out from one comb and placed on to another. Note: if no queen cells are available, the division will rear a new queen if you give them youg larvae. But, it will take longer for the colony to have a queen.
	5) Move the two colonies away from each other to minimize drifting. Note: the foragers will return to the site of the original strong colony.

Cutting out and placing queen cells

	1) Cut around the queen cell. Be careful not to cut into the cell. Note: do not turn the queen cell on its side as this may injure teh developing pupa
	2) Cut a section out of the face of the comb into which you will put the queen cell.
	3) Place the queen cell in the cut out section. Remember: always keep the cell painted downward.
	4) Put the comb into the colony. The bees will seal the queen cell to the comb.

Harvesting honey is the beekeeper's reward. As the honey flow progresses, the outer combs of the hive will become filled with honey. Harvest these combs several times during the flow period. This prevents the colony from becoming honey-bound, and the empty space in the hive stimulates the bees to forage.

When most of a comb contains capped honey, it is ready for harvesting. The moisture content of uncapped honey is too high for the honey to be self-preserving. Such honey is called green or unpinned honey, and, if harvested, will ferment. A comb in which at least two thirds of the cells are capped contains honey that will be self-preserving. such honey is called mature or ripened honey.

Bees are best removed from the comb by brushing them off. A little smoke can be used to get them started, but using too much smoke to clear the comb of bees will give a smoky taste to the honey.

Cutting comb off top bars
(harvesting honey comb)

	1) Remove only comb with honey (no brood).
	2) Smoke the comb a little.
	3) Brush bees with brush or leaves.
	4) Cut off comb (leave 2 cm).
	5) Put comb in pan with wet cloth.
	6) Replace top bar.
Note: too much smoke will give the honey a "smoky" flavor.

Management during dearth periods is different in temperate and tropical regions. in temperate regions, there is a dormant period in the colony. Good management in these regions entails ensuring that the colony has sufficient and properly located honey stores for the period and protecting the hive from prevailing winter winds. The hive entrance is also reduced to keep out cold and mice. (Mice will sometimes enter a colony and build nests in the comb away from the bee cluster.)

There is no dormant period in the tropics. The colony population drops, but the bees remain active throughout the dearth period. Management centers on having sufficient stores and sufficient bees to cover and protect the comb in the colony from wax moth.

Having sufficient honey stores in the colony is dependent on recognizing the need for them and not harvesting all of the honey. The amount of honey to ' different regions depending on the leave varies in length and severity of the dearth period. This is learned with experience in an area and is part of the "art" of beekeeping. if inexperienced in an area, leave at least a full comb of honey for every two frames of brood in a colony. It is better to leave too much than not enough. If the bees do not use it, you can harvest it later.

Though feeding bees is discouraged for most small-scale beekeeping projects, it may be practical in some areas or useful in certain situations.

Feeder for KTBH (long side view)

To make a feeder for the KTBH, use a piece of wood the same length as a top bar and three times the width. Drill a hole in the board such that it will hold an inverted jar or bottle. Fill the container with sugar syrup (two parts sugar to one part water) and punch small holes in the top. The holes should not allow the syrup to drip once the jar is inverted. The bees will take the syrup and store it in the hive. if syrup leaks, it may draw ants or stimulate robbing. To help prevent robbing, always reduce the entrance of a colony with a block of wood or other object when you are feeding.

Protecting colonies from pests is another important aspect of management during dearth periods. Wax moth larvae are by far the most damaging pest to honey bee colonies, yet simple management practices can prevent this loss.

Wax moth adults may enter the colony to lay eggs or they may lay them along cracks on the outside of the hive. When eggs laid on the outside of the hive hatch, the larvae tunnel into the hive to the comb area. If the colony does not have enough bees to protect the comb, larvae of the wax moth begin to develop in them. The larvae tunnel through the comb eating the wax, the pollen residues, and the cocoons left by the emerging adult bees. Wax moths need more than just wax in their diet, therefore they prefer older, darker comb. They destroy the comb, leaving behind webbed masses of excrement and bits of wax.

In weak colonies, wax moth larvae sometimes bore through the midrib of comb containing brood. The webbing that they leave behind entangles the developing bee pupae and prevents the adult bees from emerging from the cells. Patches or straight rows of apparently normal adults trying to emerge from the cells are the result. These bees eventually die and cell-cleaning workers remove them.

In warm regions and during warm periods in temperate regions, wax moths are always present and laying eggs. The bees in a strong colony are usually able to cover and protect all of the comb in the hive, thus they remove the wax moth larvae before they can do any damage.

However, if wax moth larvae become established in part of the comb, the bees tend to move away from the area, abandoning the comb to the larvae. At this point the colony is doomed, as the bees tend to lose their social organization. The population drops rapidly, and the few remaining bees are eventually pushed off the comb.

Wax moth problems are a result of poor beekeeping. The beekeeper takes too much honey from the colony, and it becomes too weak to guard the comb. Leaving too much empty comb in the hive during the dearth also causes problems with wax moth. The beekeeper must think of the strength of a colony both in terms of the absolute population and in terms of the ability of that population to protect all of the comb in the hive.

Good management for wax moth control is based on the following: Maintain strong colonies. Remove empty, unused comb from the hive during the dearth period. Put older, darker comb away from the brood nest so that it can be removed when it becomes empty Keep the bottom area of the hive clean of residue that drops. Wax moths can build up in the residue and move onto the comb. Slanting the hive a little in the direction of the entrance helps the bees to remove this residue before it builds up. Do not leave comb lying around the apiary or stacked inside nearby shelters. This provides a good rearing site for the wax moth population of the area. Render unused wax into blocks instead of storing it as comb. The wax moth cannot complete its life cycle in blocks of pure beeswax.

Weak colonies can be combined to make strong colonies which have a better chance of survival during a dearth period. The queen of one colony must be killed to combine the colonies. A strong colony can be divided again later during the build-up period to increase the number of colonies. During the dearth period, the objective is survival of bees, not survival of colonies. it is better to have one colony that survives rather than two that die out.

Combining colonies

	1) Two different colonies
	2) A special rectangular box is needed to hold the top bars of the weak colony, transfer the weak colony to the box.
	3) Remove an empty top bar from the stronger colony.
	4) Put a piece of newspaper over the empty space and slit the newpaper in a few places.
	5) Put the bow with the weak colony on top. The bees will slowly remove the newpaper and the bees from the two colonies will combine. Note: since the bees combine slowly, they will not fight.
	6) When the bees have mingled, combine the combs and relove the box. Note: the two colonies usually fuse together within one day. Also, keep the brood comb together when combining the combs.

Removing old comb

	1) Brood nest with old, dark comb.
	2) Remove the old, dark brood comb from the brood nest.
	3) Put the old comb away from the brood nest and move the remaining combs of the brood nest together. Note: when all of the brood has emerged and the bees have removed the stored honey and pollen from the old comb, remove it and render it for the wax.

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