In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, Jeff Ott and Becky Masterman welcome back Dr. Chip Taylor and Dr. Gard Otis for a deep dive into Africanized honey bee swarming behavior—and what it reveals about honey bee biology.

The conversation begins with a listener question on comb rotation and foundation use, offering practical spring management tips for replacing old brood frames and encouraging new comb building. From there, the discussion shifts to swarming—one of the most important reproductive behaviors in honey bees.

Drawing on decades of research in South and Central America, Chip and Gard describe how Africanized honey bees differ from European bees in their responsiveness to environmental conditions. African bees react quickly to incoming resources, rapidly expanding brood production and initiating swarming cycles. In contrast to European bees, which often wait for sustained resource availability, Africanized colonies can swarm repeatedly in short intervals, sometimes producing multiple afterswarms in a matter of days.

The episode explores key concepts such as the "effective brood nest," pheromone distribution, and how crowding within the colony triggers queen production and swarm events. Chip and Gard also share firsthand field observations—from tracking swarm cycles in French Guiana to witnessing colonies produce multiple swarms in rapid succession.

The discussion expands to include how Africanized bees spread across the Americas, the role of absconding behavior, and how their reproductive strategy contributed to rapid geographic expansion. The episode closes with a fascinating origin story behind swarm lures, including the discovery of lemongrass-based attractants still used today.

This episode blends practical beekeeping insight with scientific perspective, offering listeners a clearer understanding of swarming behavior and how different honey bee populations respond to their environment.

Websites from the episode and others we recommend:

Gard's Latest Research, "Where Do Honey Bees Mate": https://www.researchgate.net/publication/399733448_Where_do_honey_bees_Apis_mellifera_mate
Project Apis m. (PAm): https://www.projectapism.org
Honey Bee Health Coalition: https://honeybeehealthcoalition.org
The National Honey Board: https://honey.com
Honey Bee Obscura Podcast: https://honeybeeobscura.com

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Betterbee is the presenting sponsor of Beekeeping Today Podcast. Betterbee's mission is to support every beekeeper with excellent customer service, continued education and quality equipment. From their colorful and informative catalog to their support of beekeeper educational activities, including this podcast series, Betterbee truly is Beekeepers Serving Beekeepers. See for yourself at www.betterbee.com

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We'd like to thank Vita Bee Health for supporting the podcast. Vita provides proven tools for controlling Varroa—from Apistan and Apiguard to the new VarroxSan extended-release oxalic acid strips—helping beekeepers keep stronger, healthier colonies.

Thanks for Northern Bee Books for their support. Northern Bee Books is the publisher of bee books available worldwide from their website or from Amazon and bookstores everywhere. They are also the publishers of The Beekeepers Quarterly and Natural Bee Husbandry.

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We hope you enjoy this podcast and welcome your questions and comments in the show notes of this episode or: questions@beekeepingtodaypodcast.com

Thank you for listening!

Podcast music: Be Strong by Young Presidents; Epilogue by Musicalman; Faraday by BeGun; Walking in Paris by Studio Le Bus; A Fresh New Start by Pete Morse; Wedding Day by Boomer; Christmas Avenue by Immersive Music; Red Jack Blues by Daniel Hart; Bolero de la Fontero by Rimsky Music; Perfect Sky by Graceful Movement; I'm Not Running Away This Time by Max Brodie; Original guitar background instrumental by Jeff Ott.

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