Imminent Swarm - what can I do urgently?

[ericbeaumont]

end up re-queening all the hives.

What has persuaded you to consider requeening?

 

[Twin4Me]

When I get back from holiday I will see how my main hive is doing as the new queen should have mated. If she seems productive then I will leave her alone, but if she failed to mate or return to the hive then I would have a queen less hive.

I have a pretty unproductive hive (which was a swarm I was given last year) and also the swarm I just collected (which came from a colony of bees that had been living in a house chimney for 20 years). I was considering buying new queens for both of these hives as I'm not sure on the qualities of these two queens.

 

[Mint Bee]

Worth giving the swarm queen a chance. Some swarms I've collected locally have been excellent, some have been awful both in terms of temperament and productivity and need re-queening. However, if they are any good, you could always combine with the small hive to save buying in a queen

 

[Twin4Me]

Thanks, Yes I had also considered that as an option if the small hive doesn't pick up.

 

[ericbeaumont]

not sure on the qualities of these two queens.

Yes, good plan to assess performance for a while, before reaching for the debit card.

 

[Twin4Me]

I checked my hives again on Saturday. The main hive still has a lot of bees, no new larvae or eggs so I’ll assume no queen. The large queen cell we identified is still present but not yet hatched. I found another queen cell and removed it and then sealed it all up.

The swarm hive is working hard, used all the syrup I’d added so I refilled that and added some fondant. Not sign of brood or eggs but they bees are busy repairing the old comb I’d given them.

I’ll check again when I get back from holiday and see ‘what’s occuring’

 

[ericbeaumont]

I’ll check again when I get back from holiday and see ‘what’s occuring’

What was the final chapter of this story?

 

[Twin4Me]

Back from my motorbike trip to the French Alps.

Inspected yesterday and the main hive is now got an active Queen, plenty of brood present, could actually find her though.
Swarm hive is doing very well and the 'weak' hive has a good number of bee, brood and stores (very angry bees though, one even stung me through my suit)

Plenty of Honey in the hives so I'll start taking some off in the next week or so once I've ordered some jars.

Thanks for all the help especially @Mint Bee

 

[JamezF]

Back from my motorbike trip to the French Alps.

Years back I rode my GPX750 through the Alps from Interlaken to Nice with a lunch stop in Chamonix. Absolutely amazing scenery, but the hardest day's riding I've ever done. Hundreds of miles of switchbacks up and down the mountains. It was absolutely exhausting.

James

 

[Twin4Me]

Years back I rode my GPX750 through the Alps from Interlaken to Nice with a lunch stop in Chamonix. Absolutely amazing scenery, but the hardest day's riding I've ever done. Hundreds of miles of switchbacks up and down the mountains. It was absolutely exhausting.

James

Great fun though

 

[JamezF]

Great fun though

Absolutely.

James

 

[Sutty]

On your deathbed you definitely won't wish you hadn't done this stuff!!

 

[ericbeaumont]

plenty of brood present

Good result (called BIAS, brood in all stages).

could actually find her though

Couldn't find her? No need, don't bother: BIAS is good enough.