A first for me - any thoughts please

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Wingy

Field Bee
Joined
Mar 20, 2017
Messages
753
Reaction score
134
Location
Wigan, Lancashire
Hive Type
Langstroth
Number of Hives
21
4 weeks ago I collected a swarm into a brood box and set it to one side as a hive. Checked in a couple of days later and established it was in fact a cast swarm covering 4 frames, drawing out comb. Put it into a 6 frame Langstroth Nuc and left it alone.
Checked in today saw a lovely Queen BIAS + eggs and 4 almost capped charged Queen cells!
they have not even gone through one brood cycle and I am 100% sure it was a cast swarm with virgin Queen
 
My thought is you didn’t finish your post?
 
4 weeks ago I collected a swarm into a brood box and set it to one side as a hive. Checked in a couple of days later and established it was in fact a cast swarm covering 4 frames, drawing out comb. Put it into a 6 frame Langstroth Nuc and left it alone.
Checked in today saw a lovely Queen BIAS + eggs and 4 almost capped charged Queen cells!
they have not even gone through one brood cycle and I am 100% sure it was a cast swarm with virgin Queen

Well, who knows, but either:

a) they have decided to supersede her immediately - possible
b) they have decided that the nuc isn't going to be large enough for them for very long, and have decided to swarm

If you have eggs, which you do, I would be tempted to pull down those cells, give them more space, and see what they do next.
 
Well, who knows, but either:

a) they have decided to supersede her immediately - possible
b) they have decided that the nuc isn't going to be large enough for them for very long, and have decided to swarm

If you have eggs, which you do, I would be tempted to pull down those cells, give them more space, and see what they do next.
That’s what I have done. The other 2 from the same hive , 1 is in a brood box & the other combined with a Q- colony
 
Yes don’t know what happened there it only posted half?
I think there is/was a gremlin in the system...did you go to edit at some stage before final posting?

(PS seems ok now).
 
I think there is/was a gremlin in the system...did you go to edit at some stage before final posting?

(PS seems ok now).
No I wrote the post then when I tried to upload got a message “oops something went wrong you must enable cookies to continue”
Tried twice with the same message so exited the post to try again and it posted 1/2 so had to go to edit to re write the other 1/2
 
Well, who knows, but either:

a) they have decided to supersede her immediately - possible
b) they have decided that the nuc isn't going to be large enough for them for very long, and have decided to swarm

If you have eggs, which you do, I would be tempted to pull down those cells, give them more space, and see what they do next.

One of my colonies went through a supercedure recently. Checked them after 3 weeks, all seemed fine, Q present, good laying pattern. The following week, a dozen charged queen cells. Space was not an issue, they were on brood and a half. Bonkers. I'm assuming they think this is a good year for swarming and wanted to join in the fun.
 
One of my colonies went through a supercedure recently. Checked them after 3 weeks, all seemed fine, Q present, good laying pattern. The following week, a dozen charged queen cells. Space was not an issue, they were on brood and a half. Bonkers. I'm assuming they think this is a good year for swarming and wanted to join in the fun.

Yep, they're all programmed to swarm if possible
 
Yes but one of the 3 may have contained the original queen - if it did and she was quite old they may look to immediately supercede her
No, original Q was moved A/S weeks before I just didn’t knock down all the swarm cells I usually leave 2-3 as an insurance
 

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