- Joined
- Dec 15, 2016
- Messages
- 457
- Reaction score
- 1
- Location
- Ireland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 20
12th - I performed an Artificial Swarm. Queen on original site.
17th - Knocked down cells.
Today - They swarmed.
There are eggs and brood on the one frame that made the AS with, and plenty space to lay in the BB. There are two deep supers, with plenty stores, but five frames of foundation, some being drawn and some not yet being drawn.
Still, they're backfilling the BB.
I have looked over all frames in the BB three times today, and can find no sign of an uncapped queen cell that a virgin would have emerged from.
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So, eventually I've located the queen (2017) in a small cluster outside the hive. For the evening I've put her in a nuc with the frame of brood, some food, and comb.
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What to do ?
There is no brood to do an AS as I understand it. Only the one frame that would stay with the queen in the conventional AS.
Should I
a) Carry out the AS anyway, and give the colony a test frame on it's new site ?
b) Keep her in the nuc and take her to a new spot, and give the colony a test frame ?
If I keep her in the nuc, how do I proceed with that for the next few days ?
It will be in the home apiary preferably.
Thanks in advance...
17th - Knocked down cells.
Today - They swarmed.
There are eggs and brood on the one frame that made the AS with, and plenty space to lay in the BB. There are two deep supers, with plenty stores, but five frames of foundation, some being drawn and some not yet being drawn.
Still, they're backfilling the BB.
I have looked over all frames in the BB three times today, and can find no sign of an uncapped queen cell that a virgin would have emerged from.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
So, eventually I've located the queen (2017) in a small cluster outside the hive. For the evening I've put her in a nuc with the frame of brood, some food, and comb.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
What to do ?
There is no brood to do an AS as I understand it. Only the one frame that would stay with the queen in the conventional AS.
Should I
a) Carry out the AS anyway, and give the colony a test frame on it's new site ?
b) Keep her in the nuc and take her to a new spot, and give the colony a test frame ?
If I keep her in the nuc, how do I proceed with that for the next few days ?
It will be in the home apiary preferably.
Thanks in advance...