Artificial swarm

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Bees have been want to swarm for the past week, swarm cells at the bottom of the frames but due to work commitments and no equipment to perform a artificial swarm, I removed all the queen cells to give me more time. Today I tried to find the queen without any luck. They have charged playcups at the side of the frames now.

If I go through the hive again tomorrow and find the queen, can I perform a AS even if the playcups have not been made into proper queen cells yet?

 

[aidskywalker]

Yes as long as there are eggs the bees will make queen cells especially if they become queenless.

 

[oliver90owner]

If those cells are charged, they are no longer play cups; they are the real thing.

If you have missed just one, which has been sealed, they have likely swarmed.

 

[Finman]

.
No material to enlarge hive or to make AS.
Good advices do not help in that case.

 

[Eyeman]

Good tip.

Today I tried to find the queen without any luck

When on swarm watch. Get the queen out as soon as there are queen cells with larvae. Always carry round a nuc even a mini nuc. Best time to find her is when you first discover the QC's. When you go back in a few days with the right equipment she will have slimmed down and is now much more difficult to find.
Alec