How long queen excluder on swarm nuc?

[banjomorris]

Last week, a swarm from one of my colonies was caught and has been put into a Langstroth with new foundation and a queen excluder at the bottom to make sure she doesn't get out. They have a feeder with some 1:1 syrup in an empty super to get them going with drawing out the foundation. My question is: how long should I leave the bottom excluder on for? Many thanks.

 

[Moggs]

I left a QE under for 4 days,and fed them, until they were heavily involved in drawing comb. Bear in mind that it's not only the queen that you're confining -drones too.

 

[rae]

Yup, a couple of days.

As soon as eggs are laid, they are planning to stay.

You should not need to feed unless the weather is bad and there is no forage. A swarm will be packed with honey, and their foraging capability is extraordinary. We hived one of ours in a 14x12, a week later, the box was fully drawn, packed with stores and they needed a super.

 

[Midland Beek]

Who told you to fit a queen excluder!? What if your swarm contains a virgin queen that needs to get out to fly and mate? Fitting a queen excluder under a swarm is plain bad advice.

 

[rae]

If it is a swarm from one of your own colonies and you know it is a laying queen, then a QE underneath is not a bad idea. Agree that if the swarm is not a prime and contains a virgin, then it will prevent her from mating.

 

[banjomorris]

Thanks for the reply - yes, I should have mentioned that the swarm came from one of my hives and I was actually around to see it coming out! Great experience but not exactly great timing! So, QE put on to keep the queen in (I assumed she was the old donor hive queen and didn't need to mate.)

 

[Poly Hive]

Swarms can be flighty and the classic advice is to give them a frame of open brood to nail them down. The same will be achieved by containing them with excluder to prevent the queen from leaving so again nailing down the queen.

However if the queen is a Virgin then obviously there is an issue. she neds out to fly and mate.

However as she is most likely very newly emerged she will be fine confined for a few days before being released.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

I left mine on three days.
I have experience of only two but they both stayed

 

[Arfermo]

Who told you to fit a queen excluder!? What if your swarm contains a virgin queen that needs to get out to fly and mate? Fitting a queen excluder under a swarm is plain bad advice.

Since when do virgin queens swarm? Not in any of the books I have read!!!!

 

[Heather]

You should read more! Casts!!

 

[harveyzone]

Since when do virgin queens swarm? Not in any of the books I have read!!!!

In a cast swarm?