Can't find queen to do AS!!

[beesleybees]

Hi guys,

Checked a over wintered nuc for the first time this year and found swarm cells on a couple of frames. One queen cell capped, very few eggs. Can't find the queen and I've. Checked 3 days on the run, she wasn't marked. Is it possible she's already left before I inspected even though for a nuc, there still seems to be still quite a few bees in there so I'll be surprised if it has awarded already

Any easy way to find queen. Only thing I can think of is to preform an AS and hope I can find the queen with most of the Flyers gone

What do you think? If I can't find her, must I asune she has gone and merge back again?

 

[alldigging]

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/downloadDocument.cfm?id=205

National Bee Unit
FAQ 18
Swarm Control
When you can’t find the queen

 

[enrico]

The chances are she has gone. She was probably short of room as she was in a nuc. I would take all the queen cells out except for one which is uncapped with a larvae in it. Check the capped one and see what was inside.
E

 

[BeeJayBee]

What do you think? If I can't find her, must I asune she has gone and merge back again?

If you really want to find that queen it may be better, instead, to move the nuc to one side with a replacement box on the original site and leave for a little while. Once rid of the flying bees you can look at the frames more easily.

Once done just pop the nuc back where it started.

 

[REDWOOD]

The chances are she has gone. She was probably short of room as she was in a nuc. I would take all the queen cells out except for one which is uncapped with a larvae in it. Check the capped one and see what was inside.
E

Colonies in nucs are notorious for swarming if not hived at the right time.