First inspection help

[Jake]

Hi guys
I did my first inspection today of a small swarm that I was given last Thursday, I had the queen excluder on till Tuesday.
I couldn't see a queen or any brood etc so I got a 2nd opinion and he said queenless.
The bees seemed really carm only a few flying around me but rest just staying on the frames.
I'm not sure if its been long enough to see brood etc

 

[For want of a better word]

Patience will be your best friend... feed them anyway!

Chons da

 

[Swarm]

It's likely a cast with a virgin, check in a couple of weeks.

 

[Jake]

They gave been on syrup since they went in on Thurs. So when would u say I start to see eggs etc?
The bees seem active anf taking in bits of yellow pollen

 

[Erichalfbee]

Well you had the excluder on till Tuesday so the virgin couldn’t get out to mate till you took it off
What’s the weather been like?
It needs to be warm and sunny for the new queen to fly out to mate then you’ll need a few days after that.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Hi guys
I did my first inspection today of a small swarm that I was given last Thursday, I had the queen excluder on till Tuesday.
I couldn't see a queen or any brood etc so I got a 2nd opinion and he said queenless.
The bees seemed really carm only a few flying around me but rest just staying on the frames.
I'm not sure if its been long enough to see brood etc

When you say small swarm was it a cast if so you will have a virgin queen knocking around.
I would feed them little and often.. You don't want them storing syrup in the comb as she won't have room to lay when she gets going if she is there.
If you had a laying queen she should of got going by now
8 days and you would of possible had capped brood.
I would do a gentle inspection in 10 days time which should give her time to mate and start laying

 

[Jake]

The weather last weekend was windy cold and since then we have had frost the last 3 morns but by afternoon it's been sunny today has been hottest day.
The lady said it is a small swarm they have covered and drawn out 3 frames so far the other remaining frames are still foundation. She didn't say a cast but I don't know.

 

[beeno]

The weather last weekend was windy cold and since then we have had frost the last 3 morns but by afternoon it's been sunny today has been hottest day.
The lady said it is a small swarm they have covered and drawn out 3 frames so far the other remaining frames are still foundation. She didn't say a cast but I don't know.

All sounds positive. Has not been mating weather, so fingers crossed that you will see eggs in the next 10 days!

 

[Jake]

I do hope so as they seem such calm nice bees, went in the hive with hardly any smoke and they were not fussed couple came to say hello quite a few carried on in feeder then the rest just walking around on the frames.
When I watched the other bee kepper open up a swarm he got which he was saying queenless aswell alot of bees came out buzzing around our heads etc. Alot of his frames were full up with honey I think he said that's how he said queenless

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I do hope so as they seem such calm nice bees, went in the hive with hardly any smoke and they were not fussed couple came to say hello quite a few carried on in feeder then the rest just walking around on the frames.
When I watched the other bee kepper open up a swarm he got which he was saying queenless aswell alot of bees came out buzzing around our heads etc. Alot of his frames were full up with honey I think he said that's how he said queenless

Are you being mentored by someone who knows what he/she is doing? I'm thinking some of the people around you either don't have much to contribute or are poor at relaying knowledge.

 

[Swarm]

Agree, but now he's found the forum

 

[Curly green finger's]

I Agree so much, jake your in good hands on here.

 

[Jake]

I dont have a mentor but someone I know that keeps his hive on the same site as me had been helping me I think he has been keeping them for a while now, he was the one that said its queenless but when I have spoken to u guys and a group on Facebook they pretty much all said prob not queenless and need to give it a bit longer.

 

[Jake]

So the lady that gave me the swarm is going to come and inspect my hive next weekend, I have been told not to touch hive before then haha

 

[Murox]

As someone said earlier, keep feeding them especially if the weather is not good. And yes keep out, no inspections for a while. Keep a record of when they were hived and how many days it takes to draw comb, see eggs etc.

 

[Jake]

They have drawn 3 frames out lovely

 

[Jake]

Just an update to this issue I had
Well after you guys advise, I left for close to 10 days and I got the lady that gave me a swarm to inspect with me (Im classing her as my mentor haha) this morn. We couldn't see queen but alot of brood on one frame so I'm very happy

 

[enrico]

Thanks for the update Jake, keep in touch
E

 

[Murox]

Nice update. You don't always have to see the queen, just the results of her labours.

 

[Jake]

How easy is it to mark a queen?