How long to wait, post-AS, before deciding they're Q-

[Terry G]

On inspection 11 days after the time the new queen should have emerged I could see no eggs, nor could I detect a queen (not particularly surprising as there are lots of bees). How long should I keep looking? The colony was extremely calm and just going about its everyday business. I did notice quite a lot of drones on the frames but have no idea if that has any significance.

 

[Cazza]

On inspection 11 days after the time the new queen should have emerged I could see no eggs, nor could I detect a queen (not particularly surprising as there are lots of bees). How long should I keep looking? The colony was extremely calm and just going about its everyday business. I did notice quite a lot of drones on the frames but have no idea if that has any significance.

Personally I wouldn't have contemplated looking yet! I'd wait at least 2 weeks bfore my first look. Then another before I started to give up hope of the queen emerging, mating and laying.

Did you see polished cells?
Cazza

 

[Terry G]

Personally I wouldn't have contemplated looking yet! I'd wait at least 2 weeks bfore my first look. Then another before I started to give up hope of the queen emerging, mating and laying.

Did you see polished cells?
Cazza

Yes I did, and bees nose down in some.
I have a feeling that I might have mis-interpreted instructions to 'check for eggs after 21 days' as being from the date of the AS rather than the date of queen emerging. If that's the case...oops.

 

[VEG]

I usually wait a month before thinking about doing anything.

 

[oliver90owner]

Was a queen cell opened?

 

[Swarm]

 

[Cazza]

Yes I did, and bees nose down in some.
I have a feeling that I might have mis-interpreted instructions to 'check for eggs after 21 days' as being from the date of the AS rather than the date of queen emerging. If that's the case...oops.

Oops indeed. You have to be a bit careful with virgin queens at mating time, best to leave them alone.

I always believe that polished sells is a good sign of readiness for egg laying so fingers crossed...
Cazza

 

[Terry G]

Was a queen cell opened?

No sign of it!

 

[beeno]

Hi Terry,
I feel that we have left you hanging there. The workers break the empty QC down after a while, so all is not lost. That's why it is a good idea to make sure she has emerged by checking that the QC has been vacated properly preferably with hinged lid still hanging or nice round circular opening as cut by a queen at an earlier date. Hopefully all is well. Good luck.

 

[Terry G]

Hi Terry,
I feel that we have left you hanging there. The workers break the empty QC down after a while, so all is not lost. That's why it is a good idea to make sure she has emerged by checking that the QC has been vacated properly preferably with hinged lid still hanging or nice round circular opening as cut by a queen at an earlier date. Hopefully all is well. Good luck.

It's rather tricky doing this for the first time. Seems I've gone in too early to look for eggs, risking harm to the queen (if there is one), but too late to check that the QC has been vacated. The books (and I have many!) are all very vague about this post-AS period; strikes me that it's just as important as the AS procedure itself, especially if you gauge importance by the potential to totally cock things up.
One good thing about Carniolans and their tendency to swarm is that I'll probably get the chance to practice all this again quite soon!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's rather tricky for anyone, never mind a beginner.
You inspected, a bit too early perhaps, but no real harm IMHO, so just chill out. In an ideal world you would have an idea when the new queen should have emerged and known what frame the QC was on. it would have been a matter then of having a quick peek soon after day day 16 on the one marked frame and then sitting back.
So you looked for eggs on day 11 instead of at least day 14? I've done it, probably continue to do it!
Had to wait ages last year for eggs from two queens I'd reared at home (and i witnessed the mating flights!) so I checked through a few times before finding them. The two are now going like trains, both on nine plus frames and supered.
You're right though - most of the books seem to stop after the mechanics of the A/S or thrown swarm - that's where this forum is handy, you have to learn to use the forum as you would a boiled egg - with a generous pinch of salt!

 

[Terry G]

It's rather tricky for anyone, never mind a beginner.
You inspected, a bit too early perhaps, but no real harm IMHO, so just chill out. In an ideal world you would have an idea when the new queen should have emerged and known what frame the QC was on. it would have been a matter then of having a quick peek soon after day day 16 on the one marked frame and then sitting back.
So you looked for eggs on day 11 instead of at least day 14? I've done it, probably continue to do it!
Had to wait ages last year for eggs from two queens I'd reared at home (and i witnessed the mating flights!) so I checked through a few times before finding them. The two are now going like trains, both on nine plus frames and supered.
You're right though - most of the books seem to stop after the mechanics of the A/S or thrown swarm - that's where this forum is handy, you have to learn to use the forum as you would a boiled egg - with a generous pinch of salt!

I've always liked the Welsh. A calm and reassuring people, I've found.

 

[Essexgary]

Hi! Here's what I normally do (as a relative newbee). Once I have performed the AS, I check my handy Queen life-cycle chart (on google) showing each day and what the QC looks like in pictures. Then match what my QC looks like againt the pictures and count how many days until she will hatch. So now I have a rough idea of when she will hatch - then I leave a few days for her to 'dry-out' and find her feet, then wait for the next sunny afternoon above 20 degrees and low wind. from then, I wait 3 weeks. This is enough time for her to start laying, and me to see some brood - to check it's worker brood not drone brood. All of this is done without me taking a peek. I will check the front of the hive, look for pollen (possibly means queen is laying), general excitedness etc

Anyway, thats what I do! hope it helps

Gary

 

[Terry G]

Hi! Here's what I normally do (as a relative newbee). Once I have performed the AS, I check my handy Queen life-cycle chart (on google) showing each day and what the QC looks like in pictures. Then match what my QC looks like againt the pictures and count how many days until she will hatch. So now I have a rough idea of when she will hatch - then I leave a few days for her to 'dry-out' and find her feet, then wait for the next sunny afternoon above 20 degrees and low wind. from then, I wait 3 weeks. This is enough time for her to start laying, and me to see some brood - to check it's worker brood not drone brood. All of this is done without me taking a peek. I will check the front of the hive, look for pollen (possibly means queen is laying), general excitedness etc

Anyway, thats what I do! hope it helps

Gary

In the immortal words of the crooning gurner, Robbie W.: 'Next time, it will be different'

Thanks for the advice (everyone).