How soon - or a bit of patience

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jenkinsbrynmair

International Beekeeper of Mystery
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Location
Glanaman,Carmarthenshire,Wales
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
Too many - but not nearly enough
Being new to this game and preferring to be told to cool down rather than being told I'm too late.
A bit of advice (debate, abuse, whatever I don't mind that's the beauty of the diversity and inclusiveness of this site:D)
Having done an AS back a few weeks ago (four frames into a nuc and seven in a brood box)
I'm now unsure whether I squished too many QC's - there were eleven, and whether any of them emerged.
I am certain they would have emerged last weekend at the latest as they were capped when I did the split.
Inspected today, bees were calm and weren't bothered by my cack handed fumblings - didn't see any queens.Saw one QC in the last stages of demolition.
Heard a deep low pitched humming/buzzing in both hives.
Should I put a test frame in the hive or just hang on.
I'm eager to overwinter both of these as that will be my apiary sorted
 
A few weeks back isn't precise enough.
What date did you do the A/S?
 
Patience I think.

If you A/S'ed them after seeing queen cells a few weeks ago its perfectly normal for them to be pulling down the old cells again. Chances are you have a lovely princess roaming around building up her strength and stamina to go out on several mating flights.

Give her another two weeks and check for eggs.

GL
 
The easy way to know you have a queen present is to sit back and watch the entrance... If field bees are bringing in pollen, the chances are good you have a queen.

Bees are very adaptable... I have had queens appear out of nowhere in queenless hives, I inspected every crook and cranny for queen cells to find none, and then poof, a queen appears a few weeks later.
 
The easy way to know you have a queen present is to sit back and watch the entrance... If field bees are bringing in pollen, the chances are good you have a queen.

Not always...... I had a queenless hive that filled half a brood box with pollen.
 
I was convinced that one of my hives was queen less earlier this year while waiting for a queen to hatch and start laying. I waited for two weeks and saw very little pollen going in. I inspected after two weeks to find frame after frame of perfect brood.

Patience my friend.
 
Patience.

8 days from sealing of cell to emerging. Then up to two to three weeks - possibly even longer - for mating flights. Then a few days before the new Queen gets into her stride. So plenty of time yet.
 
Oooh, shut that door!

My point is that I have 18 seasons under my belt and still miss queen cells, it isn't uncommon for a newbee to have a hard time finding a queen or queen cell.
 
My point is that I have 18 seasons under my belt and still miss queen cells, it isn't uncommon for a newbee to have a hard time finding a queen or queen cell.

I was making a joke at the "poof" and "queen" references.

Larry Grayson.

I guess Im getting too old! :)
 
I was making a joke at the "poof" and "queen" references.

Larry Grayson.

I guess Im getting too old! :)

Sorry; being American I don't quite understand all British humor;) I used to watch Keeping up Appearances and Waiting for God as a kid.... yeah, not really funny :p
 
I was making a joke at the "poof" and "queen" references.

Larry Grayson.

I guess Im getting too old! :)

If you live in the USA, I don't imagine "shut that door" and "Larry Grayson" travelled well. I. on the other hand, forced to watch "The Generation game" as a child, did chuckle.
Cazza
 
Sorry to say that anyone relying on pollen collection as a guide to the queen situation in a colony is sorely misguided.

Queenless colonies will store massive amounts in the vain hope....

The only check for the queen situation that I know of is the test frame.

PH
 

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