First inspection of the year. Anything else?

[beeker]

just running where I am past the forum, I 'think' I've had a successful day. Warm day, and bees flying well, so glad I took a proper look today.
Had a plan in my head, and what I wanted to see. Though the sheer fascination takes over, watching them.
Have done nothing but heft and check stores till now, after treating last autumn, and Xmas time.
Swapped a full frame of stores out last week, and exchanged that for undrawn foundation. As they all still had a lot of stores. Though still mindful that the weather can shift back again.
All three have made it through so far, all have good worker brood, eggs and a fair few drones too. And no sign of anything manky to my beginners eye.
Saw all three Queens too, one of which was a late supercedure as the marked one has gone.
Two out of the three, had Queen cells with larvae, though all still unsealed. So once I was happy they still had a queen I took all them down.
Lots of nectar coming in, and brood in all frames with some space left to lay ( new frames last week drawn but not laid)
So I've added a QE and super to all of them. None of them are drawn as it's my first spring.
I'm ecstatic that they've made it, in no small part to listening to advice on here, really feel for the likes of DO224 who hasn't had a good winter. But sure you'll make good this year, and I'm bound to make more mistakes.

Is there anything else I should be doing about now?
I've got some kit to expand into, when it occurs, but hopefully only on a small scale, to learn gently!

Thank you all, I definitely wouldn't have got here without you.

 

[Bazzer]

just running where I am past the forum, I 'think' I've had a successful day. Warm day, and bees flying well, so glad I took a proper look today.
Had a plan in my head, and what I wanted to see. Though the sheer fascination takes over, watching them.
Have done nothing but heft and check stores till now, after treating last autumn, and Xmas time.
Swapped a full frame of stores out last week, and exchanged that for undrawn foundation. As they all still had a lot of stores. Though still mindful that the weather can shift back again.
All three have made it through so far, all have good worker brood, eggs and a fair few drones too. And no sign of anything manky to my beginners eye.
Saw all three Queens too, one of which was a late supercedure as the marked one has gone.
Two out of the three, had Queen cells with larvae, though all still unsealed. So once I was happy they still had a queen I took all them down.
Lots of nectar coming in, and brood in all frames with some space left to lay ( new frames last week drawn but not laid)
So I've added a QE and super to all of them. None of them are drawn as it's my first spring.
I'm ecstatic that they've made it, in no small part to listening to advice on here, really feel for the likes of DO224 who hasn't had a good winter. But sure you'll make good this year, and I'm bound to make more mistakes.

Is there anything else I should be doing about now?
I've got some kit to expand into, when it occurs, but hopefully only on a small scale, to learn gently!

Thank you all, I definitely wouldn't have got here without you.

You will need to think about doing something like a Demaree with your extra kit. Once the bees have decided they are going to swarm they are likely to continue to even if you have provided more space. You will need to separate the queen from the majority of the young nurse bees and brood. If not a Demaree you can carry out a split using the next round of queen cells.

 

[W0otz]

Two out of the three, had Queen cells with larvae, though all still unsealed. So once I was happy they still had a queen I took all them down.
Lots of nectar coming in, and brood in all frames with some space left to lay ( new frames last week drawn but not laid)
So I've added a QE and super to all of them. None of them are drawn as it's my first spring.

Sounds like me a few weeks ago. Knocked all the cells (well, play cups with eggs) down, added a super. A week later knocked all the cells down (properly charged cells this time) and replaced a frame of stores with a new frame... a few days later (didn't wait a whole week due to poor forecast) they'd rebuilt them again so I split the colony before I missed a cell and they swarmed. Virgin should emerge tomorrow or Saturday assuming I judged the age of the larva well enough...

Don't put off your next inspection of the 2 that had cells more than a week, because if the super doesn't change their mind then in 8 days they could seal a cell and swarm. New frames drawn but not laid could also be a sign of swarming because a queen slows laying in the days before swarming. I suspect you'll be doing splits in the near future!

and keep an eye on the third, because if 2 are thinking of swarming the other might not be far behind!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You will need to think about doing something like a Demaree with your extra kit. Once the bees have decided they are going to swarm they are likely to continue

In which case a Demarree is pointless as it needs to be done before they start making swarm preparations.
If I were you I'd time the next inspection for nearer than seven days away as if they are determined to go they will make a QC on an older larva and be away in less than a week.
Get enough equipment ready in advance, you either need to conduct a 'proper' artificial swarm such as a Pagden (in which case you need another deep, floor, roof and crownboard, as well as a full complement of frames) or you can just take the queen away in a nuc in which case you will need to put the queen, a frame of brood and space to lay, maybe some drawn comb or foundation, a frame of stores together with a good three frames worth of workers shaken into the nuc. Put the nuc a few yards away from the original hive so that the flying bees go home.
Also go through the main hive and take down all but one of the queen cells

 

[W0otz]

The nucleus method - The Apiarist as JBM described above. Easiest way to solve the problem imho, assuming you're ok at finding the queen - given that you saw 3/3 today I assume that's not a problem.

Roughly speaking:
1) Choose an open but charged queen cell (capped/sealed will work, but it's easier to judge the age of a larva to get a timeline). I like to mark the frame with a drawing pin.
2) Knock down all other queen cells
3) Put queen + frame or 2 of sealed brood (ideally emerging, to strengthen the split and give the queen room to lay) + frame of stores into a nuc box
4) Shake in a couple more frames of bees NOT from the frame with your queen cell - whatever you do don't shake that or you might shake the larva out.
5) Fill in the gaps in nuc and parent hive with new frames. Drawn frames in the nuc if you have them.
6) Go back into the main hive in a week to A) check your chosen queen cell has been capped and then B) knock down all the emergency cells they'll have created
7) Wait 3 weeks, check for eggs.

Here's a useful calculator to get a timeline - Walk Away Split Calculator | Bell Farm

and if you want further increase then 1a) or 6a) take a frame with queen cells, knock down all except 1, put in nuc box with frame of stores, shake in more bees.

 

[Bazzer]

In which case a Demarree is pointless as it needs to be done before they start making swarm preparations.
If I were you I'd time the next inspection for nearer than seven days away as if they are determined to go they will make a QC on an older larva and be away in less than a week.
Get enough equipment ready in advance, you either need to conduct a 'proper' artificial swarm such as a Pagden (in which case you need another deep, floor, roof and crownboard, as well as a full complement of frames) or you can just take the queen away in a nuc in which case you will need to put the queen, a frame of brood and space to lay, maybe some drawn comb or foundation, a frame of stores together with a good three frames worth of workers shaken into the nuc. Put the nuc a few yards away from the original hive so that the flying bees go home.
Also go through the main hive and take down all but one of the queen cells

"Like a Demaree" was meant to include the possibility of using a split board with a rear entrance which may be easier if floors and lids are in short supply. Did not go into great detail because I knew others would - just wanted to alert the OP to the fact that they were very much not out of the woods yet

 

[drex]

Knocking down QC's will not deter swarming, as they are nearly the last stage in the process. Occasionally I have found giving more space in addition will work, but now I do some form of AS straight away. I prefer the nuc method.

 

[pargyle]

Knocking down queen cells rarely achieves anything apart from an inevitable swarm before the next inspection is due ... Lesson 2 basic beekeeping.

Lesson 1 - If you see queen cell(s) assume they are going to swarm and do something about it now and that action does not include knocking all the queen cells down.

Wally Shaw is your guide ....

https://static1.squarespace.com/sta...89/1586083624282/wbka-booklet-english-PDF.pdf

 

[Erichalfbee]

Knocking down queen cells rarely achieves anything apart from an inevitable swarm before the next inspection is due ... Lesson 2 basic beekeeping.

Yep
My immediate neighbours who I am very fond of have been keeping bees for 45 years
Their method of swarm control is to knock down queen cells till the bees give up. In swarming season, for weeks on end, they are in their bees every three days to accomplish this. I cannot convince then that nuc'ing the queen then re uniting when the new queen is laying would save them hours of needless work......sigh.

 

[pargyle]

Yep
My immediate neighbours who I am very fond of have been keeping bees for 45 years
Their method of swarm control is to knock down queen cells till the bees give up. In swarming season, for weeks on end, they are in their bees every three days to accomplish this. I cannot convince then that nuc'ing the queen then re uniting when the new queen is laying would save them hours of needless work......sigh.

And continual disruption of the bees .... both in terms of removing the queen cells they industriously build and the general disturbance required looking for them ... mindless stupidity when you can react, do what the bees want to do and everyone is happy ... most of all the bees !

 

[Do224]

Yep
My immediate neighbours who I am very fond of have been keeping bees for 45 years
Their method of swarm control is to knock down queen cells till the bees give up. In swarming season, for weeks on end, they are in their bees every three days to accomplish this. I cannot convince then that nuc'ing the queen then re uniting when the new queen is laying would save them hours of needless work......sigh.

Does it work for them…or do the bees swarm anyway?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Does it work for them…or do the bees swarm anyway?

Yes it does but seriously p****s off the bees. Remember they are in those bees 20 times in two months before they give up. It's madness. I have absolutely no idea where they picked that one up.

 

[beeker]

Thank you all. I really do appreciate the help. I have nucs and foundation frames ready now. I just wasn't expecting them to be so well advanced, as I'd been following advice here to "not go inspecting yet, it's too early"
Took me by surprise, and I didn't want to leave them with almost complete QC just needing capping, and then see them disappear over the hedge, while I was thinking what to do.
I know taking the cells down won't stop what they naturally want to do, and I can't undo what I did this afternoon, lesson learnt to be prepared for anything in future.

I've bought myself as couple of days Grace to get my head around what I've to do now.
I'm going to print the Wally Shaw guide, and put it in my kit, so I can read it while I'm up the field, rather than making a snap, likely wrong decision, then coming home and finding out.
I'll keep this updated.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

yes it does but seriously p****s off the bees. Remember they are in those bees 20 times in two months before they give up

And how does it affect the honey yield?

 

[Erichalfbee]

And how does it affect the honey yield?

How do think?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How do think?

Give me a minute on that

 

[JamezF]

And how does it affect the honey yield?

They make honey?

James

 

[E&MBees]

Thank you all. I really do appreciate the help. I have nucs and foundation frames ready now. I just wasn't expecting them to be so well advanced, as I'd been following advice here to "not go inspecting yet, it's too early"
Took me by surprise, and I didn't want to leave them with almost complete QC just needing capping, and then see them disappear over the hedge, while I was thinking what to do.
I know taking the cells down won't stop what they naturally want to do, and I can't undo what I did this afternoon, lesson learnt to be prepared for anything in future.

I've bought myself as couple of days Grace to get my head around what I've to do now.
I'm going to print the Wally Shaw guide, and put it in my kit, so I can read it while I'm up the field, rather than making a snap, likely wrong decision, then coming home and finding out.
I'll keep this updated.

I have some laminated instruction cards that I keep in each apiary, under a hive roof. Stops the doubt and a bit of panic kicking in quite so quickly!!

 

[BugsInABox]

Yep
My immediate neighbours who I am very fond of have been keeping bees for 45 years
Their method of swarm control is to knock down queen cells till the bees give up. In swarming season, for weeks on end, they are in their bees every three days to accomplish this. I cannot convince then that nuc'ing the queen then re uniting when the new queen is laying would save them hours of needless work......sigh.

Is this why your swarm traps are so succesful?

 

[Erichalfbee]

No. Their bees don't swarm