hive swarmed update

[irishguy]

Last week my hive was ready to swarm with lots of open and closed queen cells. We split this hive into 2 with an AS. Next day clipped queen swarmed because we missed some queen cells but we got queen back and put her into a nuc box. We mixed about a few frames into 2 hives leaving 1 open and closed Queen cell on 1 frame in each hive.

Today (1week later) I opened up the hives and one doi g OK but couldn't find the young queen but found the Queen cell has hatched. There's pollen and nectar getting brought in so I closed this one up.

Opened up the other hive, lots of bees and they've drew out comb and filled with honey on 2 frames in super above. This is right above all the brood in brood box but they didn't fill out rest of frames in brood box yet, is this normal.

In this hive I couldn't find the young queen being as she ain't marked yet. What I did find is 8 queen cells ready to open in next day or 2 because it had the brownish tip colour on a few. Isn't this a sign my bees going to swarm!

Can anyone tell me what I've to do now before I lose my bees

 

[Erichalfbee]

I would let them all out at once. It means going back in and gently opening every qc. That way the hive should sort itself out. Read the welsh bka leaflet on queen cells. Do you read any threads apart from your own? Lots of mentions

 

[Erichalfbee]

PS
Opened up the other hive, lots of bees and they've drew out comb and filled with honey on 2 frames in super above. This is right above all the brood in brood box but they didn't fill out rest of frames in brood box yet, is this normal.

It's warmest above the brood so that's where they will be.
Why is there a super on top of a brood box with undrawn frames? How many are not drawn? Or is this hive where the original one was and has all the foraging bees?

Here you are .......

 

[ratcatcher]

We split this hive into 2 with an AS.


Next day clipped queen swarmed because we missed some queen cells(

so you didn't do an AS??

queen into a nuc with fresh frames and stores no brood

 

[YorkshireBees]

Whatever variation of an AS you perform, think what the bees have when they have swarmed!

The Queen + flying bees and NO BROOD.

 

[oliver90owner]

I couldn't find the young queen being as she ain't marked yet

Hope someone else is going to mark her, because you clearly won't until she is an old queen, at least! (Closed loop statement)

It would appear that whatever you did last week was not an A/S. Not in a sensibe way and not completed.

Adding supers before frames are utilised in the brood box is pretty poor practice. Are these'not filled out' frames just empty comb or foundation?

I think you are 'flying'blind' and need a good beekeeping book.

 

[biglongdarren]

I couldn't find the young queen being as she ain't marked yet

Hope someone else is going to mark her, because you clearly won't until she is an old queen, at least! (Closed loop statement)

It would appear that whatever you did last week was not an A/S. Not in a sensibe way and not completed.

Adding supers before frames are utilised in the brood box is pretty poor practice. Are these'not filled out' frames just empty comb or foundation?

I think you are 'flying'blind' and need a good beekeeping book.

he must be doing something right, according to another post on a different thread he has hives with 5 and 7 supers on them.
Darren

 

[irishguy]

so you didn't do an AS??

queen into a nuc with fresh frames and stores no brood

We seen Queen cells in hive so done an AS. day after we done an AS this queen still swarmed because we missed an open queen cell on tge frame. After the queen swarmed, we put her in a nuc box with some bees( handful) and empty frames. In the hives we did the As with we moved a few frames about with the new hive and left 1 open and 1 closed queen cell on a frame in each hive.

The original hive before the AS, we gave it 2(or3) empty frames and added a super for more room. They are drawing out the super but hardly touched the new brood frames. If I remember correctly, they've drew out a small bit of wax on one frame.

 

[beeno]

Hi irishguy,
The one with the virgin in - just remove all the emergency queen cells. Check in 14 days time to see if she is laying. If not, leave another week then squish if still not laying IMHO. All to be done after six o'clock tonight over open hive to minimise risk of losing virgin. Good luck.

 

[irishguy]

Hi irishguy,
The one with the virgin in - just remove all the emergency queen cells. Check in 14 days time to see if she is laying. If not, leave another week then squish if still not laying IMHO. All to be done after six o'clock tonight over open hive to minimise risk of losing virgin. Good luck.

Why after 6.

 

[irishguy]

he must be doing something right, according to another post on a different thread he has hives with 5 and 7 supers on them.
Darren

Sorry Darren, you must have read my reply wrong in other post. I didn't say I had 5 and 7 frames on, I was replying to the fellas who did have that amount on their hives. Sorry for the confusion

 

[Bosleeu]

 

[irishguy]

After reading the bkwa website on queens, I think I'll cull all cells apart from one. If the virgin queen has left, this new queen will stay with bees in the hive. If the virgin queen hasn't left, hopefully it will kill the new emerging queen. Would this be the right procedure I need to do next.

 

[ratcatcher]

After reading the bkwa website on queens, I think I'll cull all cells apart from one. If the virgin queen has left, this new queen will stay with bees in the hive. If the virgin queen hasn't left, hopefully it will kill the new emerging queen. Would this be the right procedure I need to do next.

hopefully and presume or presuming are not words to be using as a bee keeper

the trouble is, most bees haven't read the bkwa website

 

[beeno]

After reading the bkwa website on queens, I think I'll cull all cells apart from one. If the virgin queen has left, this new queen will stay with bees in the hive. If the virgin queen hasn't left, hopefully it will kill the new emerging queen. Would this be the right procedure I need to do next.

Ok do it that way, but if it is a strong colony they may swarm.

 

[irishguy]

Took them all out about 6.30 tonight. I was just about to open up the hive to cull them all but as soon as I smoked the hive, another beekeeper who I txtd(tried ringing but phone off) earlier pulled up. He cut them all out and took away to try and hatch them in an incubator. There was actually more than what I thought. I'd say he took away about 12 and most where about to hatch. Hopefully that's the end of them and the virgin queens mate soon. Also a few squashed bees so hopefully none where the queen

 

[Erichalfbee]

Having taken all the queen cells I hope he did indeed leave you a queen behind.
Likely they will emerge in his pockets on the way home

 

[irishguy]

Having taken all the queen cells I hope he did indeed leave you a queen behind.
Likely they will emerge in his pockets on the way home

I hope so too lol. There was a hatched queen cell in eeach hive, signs that a virgin queen should be there. Had another look for her but still couldnt see anything other than workers and drones. As for them hatching on him, think there's another day to go for that yet. I hope they all hatch on him in next few days then it'll mean his wee trip was worthwhile. Would be ashame if they all died.

 

[BeeJayBee]

There was a hatched queen cell in each hive, signs that a virgin queen should be there.

Can you be sure they won't have swarmed with these virgin queens?

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

There was a hatched queen cell in eeach hive, signs that a virgin queen should be there.

How long do the bees keep the used QCs up? I have some old ones. If there is no used QC, how good an indication is it there is no virgin running around?