Earliest time of day to move a nuc with a virgin queen?

[Cussword]

I've been informed by their previous keeper that the swarm I picked up yesterday is headed by a virgin. I was going to move it today, knowing that any strays could go back to the hive they came from less than 100 yards away.
Now I know that there's a virgin in there I don't want to move the nuc if there's a chance she could be out on a mating flight.

Is there a time of day that she should have been out and, more importantly, back?
It's a beautiful, warm day today.

I forgot to mention that the homeowner would be really glad for them to go today. Tonight I'm busy, and tomorrow I'm away.

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[TryingToLetThemBee]

How far are you moving it? There is danger not just that she is out (you should be able to tell from Nasonov fanning at the entrance) but a harder-to manage risk, recently discussed on here, that she goes off on a mating flight after the move when she is already orientated to the old site.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

is this a newly arrived swarm caught yesterday? in which case just move ASAP (late this evening) if it's actuaally a nuc of bees, I wouldn't move them until she's mated

 

[Cussword]

Yes it's the swarm I caught yesterday. I was hoping I could move them around tea time as I'm unavoidably busy this evening, and away tomorrow.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

get it done then, although you may have quite a few fliers out still if the weather is like it is with us - bees were still going full on at 2000hrs

 

[Cussword]

Thanks, I'm not too worried about the fliers as they can beg their way back in to where they came from. It was all about the virgin queen, I'm hoping that she will have finished any mating flight by then.

 

[Cussword]

How far are you moving it? There is danger not just that she is out (you should be able to tell from Nasonov fanning at the entrance) but a harder-to manage risk, recently discussed on here, that she goes off on a mating flight after the move when she is already orientated to the old site.

I'll reluctantly have to take the chance

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I'll reluctantly have to take the chance

Yeah. Looks like. Good luck. You could try leaving a mininuc or similar (few bees in a small correx box or similar) as insurance but you'd need to keep a close eye due to robbing. Makes me so angry to see the dead Q when that happens.


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