How long to leave the hive after AS?

[sean-a]

I found some queen cells in the broodbox and one in the super, so I was advised by the local bee keeper to split the hive:
Bees and queen and one frame of brood, remainder undrawn foundation in the brood box at the bottom.
Queen cells, all brood bar one in new broodbox on the top.

I have done that, and separated the new broodbox the following day.
That was about 10 days ago.

I have left the bees in both hives alone since then.....am I safe to open the hives to inspect?

Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Look in now.
The Q+ colony is probably OK though it would have been a good idea to look in 3 or 4 days later to see if any more queen cells had been made.
The Q- box will undoubtedly have made more queen cells when you took the queen away.
You should have gone back to reduce the cells to one. Bees can make a queen from a three day old larva (so that's day 6)
Egg to queen is 16 days, capped at 8 emerged at 16.If none of your queen cells were capped you might just get away with it. If they were then you are on the cusp of the first virgin swarming, if the colony is any size.


The WBKA has a good pdf here

 

[sean-a]

Many thanks.
I had reduced the Q- to one queencell (capped) and removed all from the Q+
Will have a look tonight.

 

[YorkshireBees]

Many thanks.
I had reduced the Q- to one queencell (capped) and removed all from the Q+
Will have a look tonight.

Make sure your queen is still present before removing all QC's !