I caught a swarm, how long till I inspect.

[Homestead Mark]

Hi, I am obviously a novice, but with the help of a beekeeping friend I took my second hand hive to a swarm and the bees just moved right in... I now have the hive back at my allotment, they seen happy as they are cleaning out dead bees, and some bringing in pollen, how long should I let them 'settle in' before I can inspect and look for the queen? TIA

 

[Antipodes]

Hi, I am obviously a novice, but with the help of a beekeeping friend I took my second hand hive to a swarm and the bees just moved right in... I now have the hive back at my allotment, they seen happy as they are cleaning out dead bees, and some bringing in pollen, how long should I let them 'settle in' before I can inspect and look for the queen? TIA

I'd have a look if it were me , but how many days has it been since they moved in?

 

[Homestead Mark]

I'd have a look if it were me , but how many days has it been since they moved in?

I got them at dusk on Saturday (13th), and I noticed today that a lot of drones are going in and out

 

[Antipodes]

I got them at dusk on Saturday (13th), and I noticed today that a lot of drones are going in and out

Have a careful peek tomorrow. You'll learn heaps by looking in there. Hopefully you'll see some eggs and may even spot the queen.

 

[Ian123]

Hi, I am obviously a novice, but with the help of a beekeeping friend I took my second hand hive to a swarm and the bees just moved right in... I now have the hive back at my allotment, they seen happy as they are cleaning out dead bees, and some bringing in pollen, how long should I let them 'settle in' before I can inspect and look for the queen? TIA

Hi Mark…. If your happy that all the frames are good and they are not going to build any random comb I’d leave till this weekend.
If it was a prime swarm the old girl should be back in lay by then and you should see eggs and larvae.
If it was a cast weather permitting she should be on the brink of laying.
Keep any inspection brief and gentle particularly if you don’t see eggs and there’s a virgin or recently mated queen running about.
Swarms draw comb like mad so if you have foundation in the box push some up against any layed up frames you are lucky to find. Or just put a couple into the main area covered by the cluster.
Swarms can and do carry Varroa does the beek who helped you have any vaping kit?…..it’s the ideal time to do it before any sealed brood!

On another note putting swarms of unknown origin/temperament into a shared area is a bit risky. They will in all likelihood be fine but have a plan bee😩 I have bees on a school site, it’s not the place for dumping swarms.
Plenty of help here just ask away.

 

[ericbeaumont]

cleaning out dead bees

Why did the bees die?

 

[drex]

For want of breath😀

 

[Erichalfbee]

Or the Good Lord took their souls away

 

[warriorgal]

Why did the bees die?

Was a second hand hive

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

wasn't it cleaned/sanitised before being put to use?

 

[The Poot]

Hi Mark…. If your happy that all the frames are good and they are not going to build any random comb I’d leave till this weekend.
If it was a prime swarm the old girl should be back in lay by then and you should see eggs and larvae.
If it was a cast weather permitting she should be on the brink of laying.
Keep any inspection brief and gentle particularly if you don’t see eggs and there’s a virgin or recently mated queen running about.
Swarms draw comb like mad so if you have foundation in the box push some up against any layed up frames you are lucky to find. Or just put a couple into the main area covered by the cluster.
Swarms can and do carry Varroa does the beek who helped you have any vaping kit?…..it’s the ideal time to do it before any sealed brood!

On another note putting swarms of unknown origin/temperament into a shared area is a bit risky. They will in all likelihood be fine but have a plan bee😩 I have bees on a school site, it’s not the place for dumping swarms.
Plenty of help here just ask away.

Hi @Ian123
How long is it before a cast swarm, virgin queen, to begin laying eggs, in your experience?
I know I hived one two days ago and thought it will take a while for maturing and mating before laying?
(Mine is clearly a good flyer as I’ve recovered her / them twice already)😳

 

[ericbeaumont]

Was a second hand hive

Well, that's not a cause of death!

If you don't know the reason for the death of the previous colony (was it your colony, or Mark's, or just an old hive passed on by Madge up the road?) it's risky to allow a swarm to take it over using comb and without cleaning the kit.

If wood, best to scrape and scorch internally and externally. At the very least, scrub with hot washing soda. For poly, submerge in 5:1 bleach for 20 minutes.

Either way, better to have hived on foundation to get them to use honey carried from the previous colony to draw comb to reduce the risk of disease transmission. Comb already drawn will allow them to store the honey for future consumption. EFB in your area is low - only 6 cases near Bridgend - but better to take precautions.

Main aim when inspecting is to find eggs, after which close up. If none are seen, wait a week and look again. When you have BIAS, look at the advanced open brood and establish that they are uniform, plump, pearly white and curled. If you see any variation, take a photo and post it here.

putting swarms of unknown origin/temperament into a shared area is a bit risky

Good point. A swarm will not reveal its true temper for a while but when the colony is strong you may be unpleasantly surprised and find inspections hard work and uncomfortable. Before you get that far, sense the developing temperament and ask for help to re-queen.

Last year I had five outsider swarms turrn up at an apiary; three were nasty and have been re-queened. The issue is not just for your comfort, but that drones from such colonies spread defensive genes in the surrounding five miles and are a nuisance to other beekeepers.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

How long is it before a cast swarm, virgin queen, to begin laying eggs,

how long is a piece of string? I've had cast swarms (the prime swarm or earlier cast was seen leaving the tree a little while before - and there was only one colony there) laying within a week or so of hiving, and other times they've taken ages. Only this season I've witnessed a colony supersede from QC to the first fresh larvae (imperfect supersedure so they did away with the old queen well before then new one was under way) so quickly I had to borrow some extra fingers to recheck the timeline. I've witnessed queens in mating nucs that must have mated within days of emergence.

 

[The Poot]

how long is a piece of string? I've had cast swarms (the prime swarm or earlier cast was seen leaving the tree a little while before - and there was only one colony there) laying within a week or so of hiving, and other times they've taken ages. Only this season I've witnessed a colony supersede from QC to the first fresh larvae (imperfect supersedure so they did away with the old queen well before then new one was under way) so quickly I had to borrow some extra fingers to recheck the timeline. I've witnessed queens in mating nucs that must have mated within days of emergence.

Thanks for that. I had decided to give them a couple of weeks before poking my nose in, whilst keeping an eye out for mating flight cuffuffals.

 

[ericbeaumont]

How long

Lot depends on the weather.

 

[Antipodes]

Hi @Ian123
How long is it before a cast swarm, virgin queen, to begin laying eggs, in your experience?
I know I hived one two days ago and thought it will take a while for maturing and mating before laying?
(Mine is clearly a good flyer as I’ve recovered her / them twice already)😳

I find the flighty ones perhaps take a bit longer.

I remember Finny posting a link to a Canadian study (and now I'm going from memory here) where they checked heaps of queens (I think more than a thousand) and found it to be and average of 10.4 days from emergence to egg laying.

 

[Antipodes]

Thanks for that. I had decided to give them a couple of weeks before poking my nose in, whilst keeping an eye out for mating flight cuffuffals.

If you haven't seen pollen coming in regularly and then you do, I've found that that signifies the commencement of egg laying. You can also get pollen coming in with brood with laying workers and sometimes I've seen the odd bit of pollen coming in with neither queen brood or laying worker brood.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

pollen comes into a hive regardless of whether they are queenless or not
Bees are opportunists if there is pollen available they will bring it in and store it for later

 

[Nannysbees]

Shall I give the swarm a feed? Do you usually give a split food or just leave them with the resources on the frames?

 

[The Poot]

Lot depends on the weather.

Shall I give the swarm a feed? Do you usually give a split food or just leave them with the resources on the frames?

If there’s a good foraging income, it’s probably not required to feed, but many give a weak feed after three days. The three days allows any nasties in the honey they brought with them will be safely incorporated in the wax.

Dont know why the other bit is attached, but it does depend on the weather too - access to nectar.