4 weeks from swarm, and no brood - should I worry?

[Rover Girl]

My hive swarmed 4 weeks ago today. I missed one QC as we had a cast too (which we managed to collect). I inspected 7 days ago when and there were no eggs or larvae. I left it a week till today, hoping that we would find BIAS - they have been bringing pollen in... But disappointingly, nothing. Should I be worried? Or should I wait it out?

 

[Finman]

buy a laying queen

 

[Tom Bick]

No help Finman.

No need to worry patience is the name of the game.

 

[stephenpug]

can you get a test frame from a friend

 

[Finman]

No help Finman.

No need to worry patience is the name of the game.

4 week again and it is August and there are 1/4 bees left any more.

I am not patience in these questions. . if there is a virgin, it cannot mate after 4 weeks,


the name of the game.: no honey, no money

 

[Chris Luck]

No help Finman.

No need to worry patience is the name of the game.

I tend to agree Tom, recently mated queens can be slow to get going.

Chris

 

[Chris B]

You had a cast on 18th June so your virgin queen is likely less than 2 weeks old. Not time to worry yet.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

buy a laying queen

4 week again and it is August and there are 1/4 bees left any more.

I am not patience in these questions. the name of the game.: no honey, no money

Hmm - the sledgehammer method of beekeeping again eh?

if there is a virgin, it cannot mate after 4 weeks,

Obviously not paying attention to a lot of posts on here Finny, if that were the case we are experiencing a massive spate of immaculate conceptions here in the UK

 

[karen p]

One of my colonies swarmed last May and it was six weeks before I saw eggs .

 

[Eric knockalt]

Wouldn,t worry just yet ,weathers not been the best .

 

[peteinwilts]

Some q's are slow to get going. Have the bees filled the brood chamber with honey? From my novice experience, they know they are running out of options.

If the calls are polished, then they are hopeful.

Whats the weather like over there? If you are on the wrong side of the north/south divide, she might be waiting for more favourable weather.

A test frame would help clear things up...

 

[richardbees]

Rover girl

Ted Hooper in 'guide to bees and honey' wrote it can take up to four weeks from hatching before a new queen starts laying...so you've got another week to go.

I'm a firm believer that taking in pollen is an affirmation of colony viability - but it's not always true!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Rover girl

Ted Hooper in 'guide to bees and honey' wrote it can take up to four weeks from hatching before a new queen starts laying

But over the last few years people on here have found that they can take even longer, I have one in my apiary now which took over six weeks and is still laying well two years down the line

 

[Rover Girl]

Thanks all - I think I'll be patient, but will try to get a frame of brood to test. Such a lot of learning to do!!

 

[richardbees]

jenkins, ditto - i've been having the same.....must be due to global warming!

 

[BeeJayBee]

Ted Hooper in 'guide to bees and honey' wrote it can take up to four weeks from hatching before a new queen starts laying...so you've got another week to go.

Yeah, but Ted Hooper's bees hadn't had to put up with the appalling summer of 2012, followed by a weird winter and late spring.

Some new queens in my area have been taking 5+ weeks to come into lay, apparently. (I mentioned it in another thread somewhere, no idea which thread is was though). Hearsay though, so don't know how true it is.

 

[richardbees]

Bee J
no doubt Ted had his bad years as well - I was merely giving my Guru's advice as having a bit more weight than even that of the noblest posters presently on this forum

 

[beeno]

You had a cast on 18th June so your virgin queen is likely less than 2 weeks old. Not time to worry yet.

Hi Rover girl,
Chris B is the man with the answer. When the second virgin emerged on the 18th June the first one which emerged 10/12 June had to decide whether she was going to fight or flee - she swarmed. So you are left with the younger virgin in the main hive. I am glad that one has been cleared up! So in practice the cast swarm queen should be laying first. Let us know what happens! If only one comes good then at least you can reunite.

 

[Finman]

One of my colonies swarmed last May and it was six weeks before I saw eggs .

And you lost 2 generations of brood and the whole yield of season.
Which is valuable, one queen or whole year.

6 weeks + 3 weeks that eggs emerge? = 2 months!

What value presents patience . Beatles Let it be, Let it Be

 

[Finman]

.


If virgin is 4 weeks old, the propability that it becomes a drone layer, is very big
.

At same time half of bees will die foir their age. If a queen starts to lay workers after that period, it takes again 4 weeks that the colony starts to strengten. So colony size will go to a quarter.

.