Bad weather and queen cells

[Erichalfbee]

Would a colony make and break down queen cells during a prolonged spell of bad weather, not make any or keep un-emerged queens inside their cells?
How long can a virgin be kept imprisoned?
I'm having nightmares of luckily getting into my biggest colony to AS just before they swarm only for my joy to be smashed by emerging queens on every frame

Would the queen slow down laying or not.... slowly stuffing the brood box fuller and fuller?

This colony is on 14 x 12 with a super under.
Hubby looked into top box 5 days ago to report all frames with wall to wall brood and little food.
I've been feeding them since Sunday....
Next 10 days forecast is dire.

 

[user 6228]

yeah i have similar neurosis i self medicate with red wine

 

[Finman]

.
A colony does not give up swarming for bad weathers. It comes out between rains.
After bad days a swarm may have even 5 virgins with it.
If some queen is small, it comes through the excluder.

However excluder tricks were common 50 y ago to stop swarm escaping.

 

[MuswellMetro]

Sometimes they don't hold the queen back

i am posting a link to a friends youtube video, i am sure she wont mind

http://youtu.be/GLNLpPPecZE

The virgin queen can be seen leaving the edge of the landing board, She is from a swarm collected about week ago on the 12th and posted on the forum

The date of the mating flight is the 15th from the Nuc, 2:00pm Temperature 12c, sunny with heavy hail showers

Possibly a suicide mating flight but she did return an hour later with very noisy long legged dark drones following her ( ?AMM crosses Essex Blacks)

 

[Finman]

yeah i have similar neurosis i self medicate with red wine

one hive and a big reason to drinck wine. And then to take sausage from freezener...
.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

one hive and a big reason to drinck wine. And then to take sausage from freezener...
.

remembere the youngsters Finman!

 

[Dave /Oscroft]

q cells

I also have the same problem here in Chester I looked in a brood and half the other day and found dozens of q cells some capped some open. I destroyed most and left perhaps two hoping to open them up the next day. Since then its not stopped raining and has beeen very chilly. So I dont know whats happend yet, I was hoping to look this afternoon but its been thundering, hailing, raining and windy. So decided to have a beer instead to calm my nerves !

Dave W

 

[Chris Luck]

I wish I hadn't read this now - I probably won't sleep tonight, in fact I better have a scout round to see if there are any swarms hanging about to calm my nerves.

Back later..

I'll pass on the booze thanks.

Chris

 

[MJBee]

10 colonies - 3 artificially swarmed so far - last inspections 11,12,13 April.

7 colonies spread over 3 apiaries - the first sunny day is going to be FUN

today +6C and raining - forecast more of the same - 26 April possibly +15C

 

[The Cumbrian]

1
today +6C and raining - forecast more of the same - 26 April possibly +15C

Lucky you it isn't forecast to get above 10 until into May here.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Lucky you it isn't forecast to get above 10 until into May here.

That's alright for you.

I've been waiting since October to get my first bees - April being the predicted time.

My nuc supplier says its still too cold - which I accept.

Now you're telling me it I'll be cold till well into May.


GRRRRR!


Dusty

 

[tonybloke]

That's alright for you.

I've been waiting since October to get my first bees - April being the predicted time.

My nuc supplier says its still too cold - which I accept.

Now you're telling me it I'll be cold till well into May.


GRRRRR!


Dusty

shouldn't that be 'BRRRRRR' ?

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

shouldn't that be 'BRRRRRR' ?

 

[aberreef]

For once the Welsh weather is better than the rest of the UK I think I'm living in a bit of a micro climate, I drove about 15 miles from home earlier and it was raining, hail, the works. When I got home it's bright sunshine and just mildly damp