Do I inspect?

[Tomo]

Hi, after an early season AS my number 2 hive (2 of 2) settled down and has 3 supers and did have a new queen that was laying well. Good brood pattern lots of brood etc. Off we went on holiday for a week. No signs of swarming a day before we went, plenty of room and the start of a flow. Inspected yesterday to find a different colony i.e. 2 emerged swarm cells 4 more ready emerge (all on bottom of 2 frames!) No eggs or grubs just a small patch of worker brood. Spotted one queen. I destroyed the rest of the QCs. I expect the new Q to mate soon. Question is shall I inspect in 5 days time to check for more QCs if they have the fever or shall I let the girls sort it out. My concern is that I didn't want to disturb the new Q when she should be after her nuptials. Thanks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

No eggs or grubs just a small patch of worker brood. Spotted one queen. I destroyed the rest of the QCs. Question is shall I inspect in 5 days time to check for more QCs

What are they going to make more QCs from?
Shame on You!!!!! No Beekeeper should have summer hols.

 

[pargyle]

Hi, after an early season AS my number 2 hive (2 of 2) settled down and has 3 supers and did have a new queen that was laying well. Good brood pattern lots of brood etc. Off we went on holiday for a week. No signs of swarming a day before we went, plenty of room and the start of a flow. Inspected yesterday to find a different colony i.e. 2 emerged swarm cells 4 more ready emerge (all on bottom of 2 frames!) No eggs or grubs just a small patch of worker brood. Spotted one queen. I destroyed the rest of the QCs. I expect the new Q to mate soon. Question is shall I inspect in 5 days time to check for more QCs if they have the fever or shall I let the girls sort it out. My concern is that I didn't want to disturb the new Q when she should be after her nuptials. Thanks.

Off we went on holiday for a week. No signs of swarming a day before we went. Inspected yesterday to find a different colony i.e. 2 emerged swarm cells 4 more ready emerge (all on bottom of 2 frames!) No eggs or grubs just a small patch of worker brood

Dates don't stack up:

In round terms: (There are always exceptions !)

Day 1 - Egg laid
Day 5 - Queen cell drawn out
Day 8 - Queen cell capped (Old queen & swarm take off)
Day 16 - New queen emerges.
Day 22 - Mating flights commence
Day 25 onwards to about Day 35 - Check for Eggs.

If you only went away for a week I would suggest that you may have missed some early signs of them swarming ?

But ... we've all been there this year so you have my sympathy - the answer to your question is best leave them alone for the time being .. for how long ? Depends on when you think (in view of the above) when you think your virgin queen emerged ....

 

[itma]

Hi, after an early season AS my number 2 hive (2 of 2) settled down and has 3 supers and did have a new queen that was laying well. Good brood pattern lots of brood etc. Off we went on holiday for a week. No signs of swarming a day before we went, plenty of room and the start of a flow. Inspected yesterday to find a different colony i.e. 2 emerged swarm cells 4 more ready emerge (all on bottom of 2 frames!) No eggs or grubs just a small patch of worker brood. Spotted one queen. I destroyed the rest of the QCs. I expect the new Q to mate soon. Question is shall I inspect in 5 days time to check for more QCs if they have the fever or shall I let the girls sort it out. My concern is that I didn't want to disturb the new Q when she should be after her nuptials. Thanks.

No need for more QC inspections for now.
2 emerged QCs indictes that they have likely already swarmed, and probably a cast as well.
Queen cells are sealed for 8 days (at least). How long were you away?

 

[Tomo]

Fair point Erichalfbee...lol...just realised what I have written! Should keep off the Murphy's before I post! Some times you just have to laugh at yourself! Of course they can't make another QC without anything to work with, what a pl**ker I am!
Yes it was a long week have to admit.....
I did inspect to see if they had room in the super when I got back, would have been 9 days after full inspection, cut it short due to lack of time and being knackered (as we were away for a week I was thinking it was 7 days), then thinking that I "knew my bees" and that she was a new Q with space and a flow thought I would be OK....wrong. Thinking about it with a calendar beside me yesterdays inspection was 14 days since last Full inspection. Just goes to show that you can't take your eye off the ball for a minute! How commercial Beeks manage with a huge amount of hives is beyond me!

 

[Tomo]

Just a quick what if: If I missed a QC yesterday will they kill the Q inside, bearing in mind that I saw a new Q running around?

 

[pargyle]

Just a quick what if: If I missed a QC yesterday will they kill the Q inside, bearing in mind that I saw a new Q running around?

If you had missed a queen cell yesterday (unlikely ?) then you would probably have a caste swarm before now .... if the virgin was there then its unlikely there are any viable queen cells left in the hive ...

 

[Tomo]

What happened was: that I spotted a queen and then broke down all of the remaining QCs. A chance I know, hopefully she was not on the brink of leaving... we shall see. It was towards the end of the day so hopefully past swarm time, but who knows? I certainly don't! Did I do the right thing?

 

[pargyle]

What happened was: that I spotted a queen and then broke down all of the remaining QCs. A chance I know, hopefully she was not on the brink of leaving... we shall see. It was towards the end of the day so hopefully past swarm time, but who knows? I certainly don't! Did I do the right thing?

Well, if you got all the queen cells then they are not going to be building any more and your virgin will hopefully get mated and you'll get a viable colony ... if you left one (or some) then there is going to be one or more queens emerging from them shortly so you will either have more than one virgin in the hive (I'm reliably informed by an experienced forum member that this can happen), you will then have another cast swarm or a queen fight on your hands - and one of them will win.

Only time will tell ... but, for my money, unless you REALLY THINK you might have missed a QC ...I'd leave them be. Interfering at this stage could cause more problems than it solves.

It's a steep learning curve isn't it ??? Hindsight should be my middle name ... Why did I do that ? Why didn't I do that ? My most frequent self investigations !!

As a precaution I would have taken a frame with queen cells and a few bees with some stores and shoved them in a nuc to rear a second queen on the just in case principle.... like I said ... hindsight !

 

[Nige.Coll]

As a precaution I would have taken a frame with queen cells and a few bees with some stores and shoved them in a nuc to rear a second queen on the just in case principle.... like I said ... hindsight


Queens are like money, you miss them most when you don't have enough.
sry drunk

 

[oliver90owner]

How commercial Beeks manage with a huge amount of hives is beyond me!

Those with too many hives to inspect on a weekly cycle can extend that period by clipping the queens. They then have ten days, or so, between inspections. They remove all queen cells and requeen with a laying queen. Occasionally the swarm will collect around the fallen queen rather than return to the hive, but commercial beeks rely on 'the norms' and put up with the rare happenings. They also know, from the rest of those being checked, whether their colonies are likely in swarm mode. They are more likely to recognise early swarming preparations than the average new hobbyist as it is their job of work, probably all day long, 7 days a week at this time of the year.

Those with huge numbers would employ extra seasonal assistance, as necessary.

So simple, really.

 

[poshpikey]

As a precaution I would have taken a frame with queen cells and a few bees with some stores and shoved them in a nuc

That's what I tend to do. Then you have a spare.

 

[Tomo]

OK, that's a great help everyone. Thankyou.