How often can i look in hive?

[steveselvage]

I got a colony of bees last week and they seem ok,i had a quick look at the top super on thursday as when i picked them up the chap that sold them to me said that it was filling quickly and that i should add another.
When i looked the super was not very full at all so i dldnt look any further.
I have been waiting for a mate that is a beekeeper to come and have a look through the hive but he tells me today that he will be too busy over the next fortnight to come during the day and that the earliest he could get to my house would be 9pm in the evenings.
He suggests that i have a look to check if there are any queen cells and if so to destroy them,and that would prevent swarming for a couple of weeks till he can get here in the daytime.
I phoned the guy that i got them from and he said that its far too early for them to swarm but that the hive swarmed last year twice.
Should i go for it?

 

[BKF Admin]

Bees have been swarming in the area for the last month.

Send me a pm and I will pop over and go through the hive with you.

 

[Heather]

Bees dont read books-- but I think you may rely on them being there for quite a while.
If they have a queen, food and loads of frames to draw out they will be busy enough and wont want to swarm. The colony sounds strong, but having added a super to extend their area, you have done the right thing. . Look every 5-7 days - more often is disruptive to them. They will possibly make little cup cells but as long as no white jelly in them you are safe.

It is established colonies that are looking to split at this time of the year.

Every good luck with your bees, and learn from books and this forum - and if pos - get a second hive- heir and a spare and all that - good insurance against damage limitation
Heather

 

[steveselvage]

Thank you admin

As title says. Thank you very much for going through my bees, i owe you one.

 

[Mosquito]

I remember when I got my Bees, I looked in the hive allmost every day for the 1st 3 weeks.

 

[Polyanwood]

Mosquito that is very bad, but quite funny.

When I first got mine I used to sit so close to the entrance watching them that they used to sit on my face... until they started stinging me on the face, when I realised further back was better.

 

[grizzly]

 

[jon]

Hi mosquito

I remember when I got my Bees, I looked in the hive allmost every day for the 1st 3 weeks.

When I first got bees I didn't start tinkering with them for about 2 years!

If you look in the box every day, sooner or later you will kill your queen by squashing her or provoking the bees into balling her.

You need to work to a plan and keep written records. Otherwise it is just too tempting to talk yourself into having a peek inside on some spurious pretext.

 

[anniebee]

Hello all, newbie here too. Got my first hive 10 days ago. Looked in the hive yesterday in the presence of my beekeeper mentor. I'll found it quite intimidating and would definitely advise any first timers to find a good mentor. He's going to check the hive with me again in 10 days time, then I think I'll feel okay about checking the hive myself.

I have NO desire to poke around in a hive for fun yet! Maybe never...

 

[MrTrueman]

I have had mine over a month and I am sticking to a 7 day rule, give or take a day due to weather.

The weather is a pain!

As a newbee it is hard not to want to open them up all the time but as Hivemaker pointed out you wouldn't pull up your plant to check the roots everyday! (I think it is a qoute from a book but a good one all the same)

anniebee, have you got a nuc or is itt a full hive?

 

[Mosquito]

I am sticking to a 7 day rule, give or take a day due to weather.

I allway have a 6 day rule.
Because of the weather.

 

[anniebee]

Mr. T, I have a full hive with two supers on top. When we opened the hive on Sunday there were 6 queen cells in there. My mentor destroyed all of those, spread the brood and added a second super.

The weather here in SW Ireland hasn't been as good as yours, but saying that we've had total sunshine since Sunday. Should I be thinking of opening up earlier?