Goal: Strong Hives and Preventing Swarms
If you followed the February guide, your colonies should now have:
- Strong food stores
- Increased brood production
- Early mite management in place
Outside the hive, spring is clearly underway. In areas like Gilroy and Morgan Hill, bloom is expanding rapidly, daylight hours are increasing, and daytime temperatures are climbing. Colonies are shifting from winter mode to population growth mode.
Inside the hive, I’m seeing:
- Increased drone brood
- Large areas of worker brood
- Occasional queen cups
- Pollen and nectar coming in
March is a critical month. The decisions you make now will determine whether your bees build productively — or swarm.
What To Look For During Inspections
Inspect each hive thoroughly and consistently.(March min. 2x per month)
Brood Production
- Is the brood pattern solid and consistent?
- Are larvae pearly white and healthy?
- Are there signs of nectar on the brood frames?
- Is the queen laying on new frames?
Food Stores
Even with nectar coming in, do not assume that the bees have enough to eat!.
Check:
- Capped honey.
- Cells filled with nectar (liquid).
- Pollen stores.
Cold snaps can still happen. Starvation in March is common if colonies over-expand.
Queen Cups or Queen Cells
This is the month you’ll begin seeing them.
- Queen cups (empty): Normal.
- Queen cells (with egg/larva + royal jelly): Swarm preparation.
Know the difference.
Signs of Disease or Pests
Very common in March:
- Deformed Wing Virus (DWV) – often visible as bees with shriveled wings.
- Mite pressure increases with brood expansion.
DWV is strongly associated with Varroa levels. If you see symptoms, reassess your mite control strategy immediately.
Don’t Forget the Water Source
Bees are collecting significant amounts of water now to regulate brood temperature and convert food stores..
- Make sure a clean, reliable water source is nearby.
- Add floats (corks, wood chips, gravel) to prevent drowning.
Step 1: Inspect & Record
Inspect every hive and document:
- Brood strength.
- Drone production.
- Food stores.
- Queen cups or cells.
- Disease/pest signs.
Then I update my notes for each colony.
March becomes the new baseline for the season.
Step 2: Identify Strong Colonies
Strong hives will have:
- Several frames of brood.
- Good food stores( Pollen, Nectar, Bee bread).
- Drone presence.
- Possible queen cups or charged cells.
- Lots of foraging activity.
These are candidates for splitting.
Step 3: Strategic Splitting
Why Split in March?
- Increase colony numbers.
- Reduce swarm pressure.
- Use the colony’s natural expansion energy.
However… do not split my proven honey production hives.
Know the difference between:
- A colony you want to multiply.
- A colony you want to maximize for honey.
Splitting reduces population. That’s great for swarm control in breeder or expansion colonies — but not ideal if your goal is maximum honey yield.
Swarm Control for Honey Hives
For strong honey-producing colonies, use alternative methods to reduce swarm risk:
- Add space early- Checkerboarding and supering ahead of the nectar flow.
- Reverse brood boxes if needed.
The goal:
Lower swarm impulse without reducing workforce.
