Spring has well and truly sprung and the bee hives are going from strength to strength. But that brings with it a problem – the swarm. As the colonies become overcrowded, the bees become likely to depart in a swarm with the queen, leaving just a few bees behind to rear a new queen. It’s a natural process, but for the beekeeper it can be a disaster, leaving the beehive all but empty and little prospect of a harvest of honey.