I have been involved now for about 6 weeks.It has all happened in those weeks .Not able to inspect for weeks due to poor weather.I get inspected by the Fera guy who tells me they are a healthy colony but are about to swarm.He helps me out with an A/S but leaves 6 sealed q swarm cells intact in the split.I thought that was strange as I did not see until later in the week.Anyway took advice off very helpful members and knocked em all down leaving one. The A/s in original position was left with undrawn frames with the assumption the Queen was in it as she has never ever been seen .Both he and I looked for a long time without success.
Turns out she was there as 6 days later she swarmed anyway ,luckily I watched it happen .They settled in my hedge and again with advice over the phone I boxed the swarm and placed later into borrowed NUC.They have been relocated to my allotment and for now seem settled.
Turning my attention to the remaining hives .
The A/S in original position now only contains a small number of bees.They have drawn comb and when I looked last week they only have food on that comb.(This being where the swarm came from) The split with the main brood box seems to be doing well with masses of bees.Obviously I entered this last week and took out any new Q cells they had raised .About 3 in total and still left the one as before.I united the weak hive with the bigger colony by placing the weak brood box on top with newspaper between.The paper was chewed away and on opening to remove the paper left I did not see much evidence of dead bees so I think it has gone well.
I only checked the top hive brood box from the weak colony for removal and did not want to disturb the lower one being concious that hopefully the one Q cell I left there should have hatched last week .To my surprise the top brood box had about fifty sealed brood ,Only about 3 being drone and in the middle two emergency q cells.I do not know where they came from .There being a Q excluder above the lower brood box.I can only assume the old queen laid them before she left.I really do need to get some glasses .
I again took advice and today opened the lower brood box to find no eggs at all,3 Q swarm cells,sealed.Thought I had destroyed them all last week and the Q cell I had left had not hatched . There does not seem to be a reduction in numbers so assume they are waiting for a Queen to hatch to make a run with.
Now to the crunch of it .If I have confused you ,imagine how I feel.It all seems straight forward ish ,but it all seems to be chaotic at the same time .The Question to you all ,Bee keeping ,Why do it ? I do not think I am feeling it just yet.
Turns out she was there as 6 days later she swarmed anyway ,luckily I watched it happen .They settled in my hedge and again with advice over the phone I boxed the swarm and placed later into borrowed NUC.They have been relocated to my allotment and for now seem settled.
Turning my attention to the remaining hives .
The A/S in original position now only contains a small number of bees.They have drawn comb and when I looked last week they only have food on that comb.(This being where the swarm came from) The split with the main brood box seems to be doing well with masses of bees.Obviously I entered this last week and took out any new Q cells they had raised .About 3 in total and still left the one as before.I united the weak hive with the bigger colony by placing the weak brood box on top with newspaper between.The paper was chewed away and on opening to remove the paper left I did not see much evidence of dead bees so I think it has gone well.
I only checked the top hive brood box from the weak colony for removal and did not want to disturb the lower one being concious that hopefully the one Q cell I left there should have hatched last week .To my surprise the top brood box had about fifty sealed brood ,Only about 3 being drone and in the middle two emergency q cells.I do not know where they came from .There being a Q excluder above the lower brood box.I can only assume the old queen laid them before she left.I really do need to get some glasses .
I again took advice and today opened the lower brood box to find no eggs at all,3 Q swarm cells,sealed.Thought I had destroyed them all last week and the Q cell I had left had not hatched . There does not seem to be a reduction in numbers so assume they are waiting for a Queen to hatch to make a run with.
Now to the crunch of it .If I have confused you ,imagine how I feel.It all seems straight forward ish ,but it all seems to be chaotic at the same time .The Question to you all ,Bee keeping ,Why do it ? I do not think I am feeling it just yet.
