just an update swarm from tonybloke

[village girl]

i'v had my bees a week now, i am still feeding them as a small swarm,with no comb, however i have seen the bees bringing back pollen so i am asuming combe has been built and the queen is laying. as tony bloke told me leave them alone for a fortnight i have resisted the urge to look in the brood box, but have spent lots of time waching them coming and going, apart from ants obove crown bord all looks ok, well as much as i can tell from the out side, iv done the corse read books but thear is no substitute for experianc, so i thought if i'v done some thing wrong or forgot to do something, someone would let me know PLEASE, and THANK YOU

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

i'v had my bees a week now, i am still feeding them as a small swarm,with no comb, however i have seen the bees bringing back pollen so i am asuming combe has been built and the queen is laying. as tony bloke told me leave them alone for a fortnight i have resisted the urge to look in the brood box, but have spent lots of time waching them coming and going, apart from ants obove crown bord all looks ok, well as much as i can tell from the out side, iv done the corse read books but thear is no substitute for experianc, so i thought if i'v done some thing wrong or forgot to do something, someone would let me know PLEASE, and THANK YOU

Yep!

You forgot to get a mentor........


Dusty.

 

[Compostcritter]

Hopefully you have someone to help you? As per previous post get a mentor via the bbka.

 

[oliver90owner]

tonybloke is likely the one who has the best idea of what the colony was.

If a prime, she will be laying by now, but if a cast it will be a few days, yet, I would think.

If building comb and increasing stores they may not need feeding any further.

That brood box could be near full after a couple good weeks if a reasonably large prime swarm and with some good foraging. Not generally happening this year, but unless you check, you don't know.

I would not be going through the colony, but simply checking by looking in the top of the hive for frames being drawn or obvious stores. Late afternoon would be the choice of time, if she was a virgin, as she may be out or for a mating flight earlier (and I don't like disturbing them prior to that either, as she may just fly out on an unintended jaunt).

Initially you won't have a clue, possibly, but getting a relative change is all that is needed.

I have one swarm that has filled a 14 x 12 and a super in three weeks. But seems to be the exception, this year.

I have also noticed a cast (presumably) has taken residence in an unused 6 frame 14 x 12 poly nuc. Not so many bees, but is foraging, so I have not looked yet, other than to remove the lid to confirm my suspicions, after seeing a half dozen bees entering and leaving. Some new white comb was all I saw, so been there a few days

I shall quietly close it up and transport it to the usual out-of-the-way site for it to prove itself. And here is me trying to reduce colonies!

 

[jackbee]

I had a small swarm 3 weeks ago - it's realy frustrating not looking at them so as not to disturb - you just want to see how they're doing lol - i twitvh every time I watch the hive just wanting to see what's happening lol

Mine are very slow - finally checked after 3 weeks and only 2 frames of brood wirh good pattern of pollen and honey and that is on already drawn frames. They have started to draw out frames either side but not greatly.

Bee numbers are down as well, but to be expected I think as older foragers die off and new workers yet to hatch, hope to see incease in the next few weeks.

But at least Q is laying even if I haven't seen her.

Good luck and well done not opening yet, patience is a virtue

 

[Rosti]

Worth checking varroa drop - which can be done without intervention of course. If high then you have an opportunity to OA treat in a window between the queen being mated and the first cells being sealed. (I would leave well alone under any circumstances until queen is mated)

 

[Hebeegeebee]

The weather hasn't been brilliant in Norfolk although it was Ok at the weekend so I hope some of my queens have been out and mated. If so, then Village Girl, yours may well have mated if a virgin (quite possible if a smallish swarm). Have a look-see at the weekend or anytime if the weather is nice - after 4 pm as posted above in case a virgin.
(Mating flights are usually during the middle of the day so the colonies should not be disturbed at that time).

 

[Outlander]

That explains why I see lots of drone activity at that time of day outside of the hive then, is that right.

 

[village girl]

hi i have good support from others on my corse and can email my tutor if i have any problems, just wanted to say out loud what was happening incase anyone could point out any obvious or not so obvious things i should of done, I am keeping an eye on the veroa drop lots of what apper to be wax flakes but i have not seeen any veroa, i have someone coming over later in the week to double check with me, thank you for the constructive comments all very helpfull and will not be opening the hive untill after 4 at the end of the week, thanks again

 

[village girl]

HRH and more

Thank you all for your good advice , i'v waited forever (ok a week seemed like forever) we opend the hive today and yay thear are, eggs standing straight up, leaning and layingdown, thear are larvie from small to almoast filling the cell, nothing caped yet and thear she was a verry gracefull nice lookin queen (thanks outlander well spoted) i have necter and pollen round the outside of the frames nice pattern, and checked veroa drop 1 in two weeks, (but the ants might have cleard some off apparently) so do i treat now or wait for the colany to grow as still verry small ?