Just when I thought I was getting the hang of it!!

[thedeaddiplomat]

Hope the more experienced beeks are in a generous mood.

I thought I was beginning to get the hang of it. But I did a quick inspection of my two hives this afternoon (it was really too cold, but it had been eight days, and the local forecast is for nothing warmer). Bees did not really appreciate it.

I took about eight Queen cells off one hive (a brood and a half), and about six off the other (just a brood). The cells had larvae in, but were not sealed. Both colonies still had some (though not a lot of) undrawn foundation. Both hives were pretty full of bees (as well as brood, stores, larvae etc) - but this may be because the weather had kept lots at home.

So do I now spend the rest of the summer removing Queen cells (hoping I don't miss any) and bunging on supers for all I am worth in hopes of a decent honey crop. Or do I bow to the almost inevitable, and do an artificial swarm (though goodness knows where I will put two new colonies)?

Perhaps I should have taken up quilting!

 

[Poly Hive]

sorry to say but you have no choice here.

They are telling you they want to reproduce so yes you have to AS them.

Then later on when your virgins are mated and laying nicely you can unite back to two.

PH

 

[VEG]

As PH said they have made up their mind, knocking off queen cells wont stop them. Just hope you didnt miss any cells that were hidden or they may swarm anyway.

 

[oliver90owner]

you can unite back to two.

That may, of course, depend on where you keep your bees and the temperament of those new queens. If I only had two, they were in an urban area and I had no alternative apiary, I would be checking out more than two queens as potential replacements.

Regards, RAB

 

[sherwood]

No need for extra space do an artificial swarm but put a swarm board above the new box on the old site with fresh foundation and the Queen.then the swarm board and then the old box above this with the entrance in a different direction to the one below, then the crown board then the roof. The swarm board is effectively a crown board with an entrance cut in the upper side.

Once the Q cell has hatched and the virgin mated and laying above, you have the option of culling the old queen and uniting the colony

 

[Hivemaker.]

So do I now spend the rest of the summer removing Queen cells

This just won't work,they will get p**sed of with this game,and swarm and they can have another sealed cell just three or four days after you inspect them,built from a larvae.

 

[thedeaddiplomat]

Many thanksfor the advice - thought I was on a hiding to nothing!

 

[shonabee]

IPossibly your local association has plenty of beginners who are depserate for a nuc/colony to start them off? I know ours is keen to supply bees from local sources. If you do end up doing AS then that could be an option to get rid of unwanted extra's.