Double brood.

[user 819]

Beekeeping shouldn't become a chore and dictate every 3 days that you need to fiddle.

 

[user 819]

Why to open hives every three days?
From where 3 comes?

Because he has a need to keep fiddling as a new beek.

 

[ericbeaumont]

checkerboard the brood boxes...a few frames at a time. It soon gets drawn

Yep, a good indicator of colony intent. If they don't draw it by the time you return, you can be pretty certain they mean to swarm. One frame into the nest is enough to give the game away.

Peter Heath gave me that tip; he was an SBI for many years and ran 300 Dadants single-handedly at the same time, so he needed clues.

knock the unococupied cells off. Nobody told me to do that I just figured it out for myself, it gives me a constant gauge

Damaging a queen cup is a useful trick: I don't knock them off, but have a quick look with a hive tool; repairs give a hint of intent.

Stress to the colony? Hardly, or at least no more than stress caused by the usual damage to combs and cells and bees during an inspection; even the smoothest operator will leave a trail of damage.

Eggs in cups is not a sign of swarming prep, it's pretty common and most of the time they get removed.

Not heard that one, Jeff: if I risked leaving eggs in cups until the following week (more likely 14 days) it'd end in tears.

If I find eggs in cups on bottom bars after tilting a box, I'd be taking frames out to get to the truth.

 

[Finman]

Most of my hives draw queen cups in one day the queen can lay in them when drawn so if I lift the brood on the 3rd day I can see if any eggs ocupy them if they do I need to do something about it. While I have the box up I can knock the unococupied cells off. Nobody told me to do that I just figured it out for myself, it gives me a constant gauge on the state of my hives. On good days I'll check whole frames to see if I missed something or if I have any supersedure cells. A lot of people leave them until the queen lays in them then do something but I don't. Just my way and I'm sure plenty will tell me I'm doing it wrong

That makes no sense. You just disturb the hive.

Just your way...? Your hives. Do just as you like.

But if you see eggs in cups, make AS, and stop that game.

 

[Finman]

After all, I wonder why double brood is so mysterious and difficult. I do not use excluder, and queens use 2 langstroth brood boxes, because I demand from queen, that it can lay two boxes. In the middle of summer a third brood box (lowest) is a store for pollen.

 

[jeff33]

Not heard that one, Jeff: if I risked leaving eggs in cups until the following week (more likely 14 days) it'd end in tears.

If I find eggs in cups on bottom bars after tilting a box, I'd be taking frames out to get to the truth.

Eggs in cups is indeed pretty common and not always a sure sign of swarming. Wally Shaw in his guide to hive management also notes that it may show intent (similar to your theory of the frame of foundation being drawn or not) and a close eye should be kept on the hive. When I see eggs in cups I leave them alone and will inspect 4-5 days after. In most cases, the eggs will have been removed and no swarm preps started.
The bees will trigger the swarming, not the queen. It could be that the queen lays in them because that's what she does and the bees remove them as they do not intent to swarm.... I am still unsold on bees moving eggs from normal cells into queen cells..

 

[Finman]

Eggs in cups is indeed pretty common and not always a sure sign of swarming. Wally Shaw in his guide to hive management also notes that it may show intent (similar to your theory of the frame of foundation being drawn or not) and a close eye should be kept on the hive. When I see eggs in cups I leave them alone and will inspect 4-5 days after. In most cases, the eggs will have been removed and no swarm preps started.
The bees will trigger the swarming, not the queen. It could be that the queen lays in them because that's what she does and the bees remove them as they do not intent to swarm.... I am still unsold on bees moving eggs from normal cells into queen cells..

What I have seen, egg in cups are quite sure sign of swarming.
.

 

[jeff33]

What I have seen, egg in cups are quite sure sign of swarming.

I will tell you next week as I had 2 hives today with eggs in cups, 1 egg in a cup out of several of the usual play cups. If I had seen 3-4 cups with eggs I would have been a lot more cautious.

 

[Finman]

I will tell you next week as I had 2 hives today with eggs in cups, 1 egg in a cup out of several of the usual play cups. If I had seen 3-4 cups with eggs I would have been a lot more cautious.

I do not need that information. They are your hives.

 

[GuyNir]

I do not need that information. They are your hives.

Classic Finny response…

 

[ericbeaumont]

What I have seen, egg in cups are quite sure sign of swarming.

I agree, but then last week knocked out a cup or two with eggs in a strong double and waited. Seven days later we went in and found no QCs and no eggs in cups.

Likely that they abandoned travel plans once they looked out of the window and saw the weather. Different circumstances - age of queen, weather, strength of colony - and it would have been a different result.

 

[Finman]

1åqä

I agree, but then last week knocked out a cup or two with eggs in a strong double and waited. Seven days later we went in and found no QCs and no eggs in cups.

Likely that they abandoned travel plans once they looked out of the window and saw the weather. Different circumstances - age of queen, weather, strength of colony - and it would have been a different result.

 

[Finman]

Yeah! Many things happen in beehives, typical and non typical.

 

[Finman]

I agree, but then last week knocked out a cup or two with eggs in a strong double and waited. Seven days later we went in and found no QCs and no eggs in cups.

Such happens.

But an egg in queen cups is an alarm bell, however.

It does not mean "do not mind". Empty queen cup is " do not mind".

 

[GuyNir]

Such happens.

But an egg in queen cups is an alarm bell, however.

It does not mean "do not mind". Empty queen cup is " do not mind".

For me it means check again within ~3 days.

 

[Finman]

For me it means check again within ~3 days.

Yeah. So you know what they are going to do.

 

[GuyNir]

Yeah. So you know what they are going to do.

I suspect they might…