Swarming Biology and Control

A practical guide to understanding and managing swarming to maximise colony performance and honey yield.

£25.00

Swarming Biology and Control explores how beekeepers can manage the natural swarming process to maximise colony performance and honey yield.

Rather than offering purely prescriptive instructions, the book focuses on the underlying biology of swarming as the reproductive stage of the colony life cycle. By understanding what happens within the hive during this process, beekeepers can make more informed and effective management decisions.

Wally Shaw examines the sequence of swarming events and their profound impact on colony behaviour, providing the knowledge needed to manage colonies successfully during this critical stage of the beekeeping year.

Drawing on more than 30 years of study alongside his wife Jenny, the book is structured in two parts: first, the biology of swarming, and then the practical methods of swarm control that can be applied in the apiary. It is suitable for beekeepers of all levels who wish to develop a deeper understanding of swarming and its management.

Wally Shaw holds an honours degree in forestry from the University of Wales, Bangor, and undertook postgraduate research at the University of New Brunswick, Canada. Following a career in forestry and ecology with the Forestry Commission, Nature Conservancy, and Institute for Terrestrial Ecology, he began beekeeping in 1987. He has since lectured widely in the UK and internationally, with a particular focus on swarming and its control.

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