Artificial swarm bodge questions

[hailtryfan]

Attempted my first artificial swarm today and as I feared I couldn't find the queen. The whole 14x12 brood box was full to the brim with bees and I couldn't find HRH despite looking through each frame several times. As I had several swarm cells with eggs and larvae as well as one capped (eek!), I decided to proceed with a slight bodge.

I wanted to create another colony with the AS anyway so I took out the frame with the capped swarm cell, 3 others with swarm cells and one with stores and put them in a new box along with the bees on them. Checked all the other frames (still no queen) and squished a couple more queen cells, replaced the four missing frames with frames with foundation and closed it up. After all this disruption there were bees bearding all over the front of the original hive.

I think what I did made sense and may have at least delayed swarming, but I have a couple of questions I'm hoping some more experienced beeks can help me with:

Was this a sensible course of action?

As some of the bearding bees were exposing their Nasonov gland and fanning, does this mean I probably got HRH in the main hive?

What should I do next?

Thanks in advance guys and girls

Mike

 

[Poly Hive]

You had a new box, I assume a brood box.

I would have been much harsher with the split, taking half the brood and a good shake of bees to boot. I would mark the frames with cells, and NOT shake them then observe the old unit to see how they behave.

I would be unable to observe the new one as of course they are stuffed with grass.

In the event the old site does NOT fan then the queen is there and the job is done. In the event they do then at least you know where the queen is (in the split) and so give the old site a cell to get on with. Job still done.

PH

 

[hailtryfan]

You had a new box, I assume a brood box.

I would have been much harsher with the split, taking half the brood and a good shake of bees to boot. I would mark the frames with cells, and NOT shake them then observe the old unit to see how they behave.

I would be unable to observe the new one as of course they are stuffed with grass.
PH

Right, a brood box. I haven't stuffed the entrance of the new brood box with grass. Should I and why? Is there any reason why I can't add another frame of bees to the new hive on my next visit?

In the event the old site does NOT fan then the queen is there and the job is done. In the event they do then at least you know where the queen is (in the split) and so give the old site a cell to get on with. Job still done.

PH

So I am right in saying my queen is in the old hive as the bees were fanning. Good.