- Joined
- Mar 11, 2021
- Messages
- 2,578
- Reaction score
- 1,861
- Location
- Glossop, North Derbyshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 4 to 12!
I inspected a couple of colonies this afternoon. One gave me cause for thought & concern - see my other thread today.
The second was a smallish colony on about 7 national frames, the result of an artificial swarm (Pagden) a while ago. Nice marked blue queen seen today, laying size, eggs and BIAS, expanding ok, it was a fairly brief inspection as I wasn't expecting problems (1st mistake!), Nice brood pattern, lovely frames of sealed brood, no queen cells seen. I finished up wrote up my notes - last line "no QCs".
The hives are in my garden and I was sitting outside about 2hrs later when a swarm issued and settled in a neighbour's tree about 30' up. (empty house I've previously had permission to go into the garden of if needed).
I've collected the swarm (ladder and a bit of a performance), and it's on the floor collecting the stragglers before I bring it back and give it frames.
Having collected it I went through the swarmed hive again. Really thoroughly this time. I found a single sealed queen cell at the inside corner of a frame, and about 6 un-charged queen cups.
Obviously I've kept the sealed cell.
I can only presume this was a supercedure attempt (single cell) which then provoked a swarm.
Any other ideas? A single cell seems odd!
The second was a smallish colony on about 7 national frames, the result of an artificial swarm (Pagden) a while ago. Nice marked blue queen seen today, laying size, eggs and BIAS, expanding ok, it was a fairly brief inspection as I wasn't expecting problems (1st mistake!), Nice brood pattern, lovely frames of sealed brood, no queen cells seen. I finished up wrote up my notes - last line "no QCs".
The hives are in my garden and I was sitting outside about 2hrs later when a swarm issued and settled in a neighbour's tree about 30' up. (empty house I've previously had permission to go into the garden of if needed).
I've collected the swarm (ladder and a bit of a performance), and it's on the floor collecting the stragglers before I bring it back and give it frames.
Having collected it I went through the swarmed hive again. Really thoroughly this time. I found a single sealed queen cell at the inside corner of a frame, and about 6 un-charged queen cups.
Obviously I've kept the sealed cell.
I can only presume this was a supercedure attempt (single cell) which then provoked a swarm.
Any other ideas? A single cell seems odd!
