Late swarm

[Haywards]

If I don't check how will I know if the single queen cell has emerged, or does that not matter now?
If no queen appears then natural wastage will weaken the hive and as long as the swarm prospers I will have a colony and I can switch the honey supers. Is this sound thinking?
Also, the stores in the brood frames were depleted by the swarm and there is some uncapped honey but not a lot. Will the old bees use the stores in the supers or continue to forage as they are doing at present?

 

[enrico]

I think you will do more harm than good by checking! If it is open and you have a queen all may be fine but you still don't know if mating is going to be successful if the cell fails your only course of action would be to requeen or combine. Queens are going to be scarce now, combining will still be fine in four weeks time. Forage is dependant on the balsam and the ivy, I doubt they will starve with reduced numbers and forage available but weather etc pays a large part. You can always feed either colony if you have to. I am afraid the final decision is yours, all I can tell you is what I would do!
Best of luck with whatever you decide
However if you would prefer to check then just check the frame with the queen cell on taking great care not to damage it, make room to lift it out without catching it on the frames on each side.
E

 

[beeno]

Hi Haywards,
Sorry enrico, I think it is crucial to check that a queen has emerged from the QC. I tore down three QC the other day. The best looking one had a grub, but the other two only RJ no larva. (By the way, so far they have not built any further QCs, and they have new eggs to do so, so I will be checking shortly again). I have also seen black grubs in sealed QCs.
I would also feed a little in anticipation of pollen stores being required and the fact that the swarm depleted stores before they departed.
May the force be with you!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think it is crucial to check that a queen has emerged from the QC. I

And what is it going to achieve? b*gger all. I'm with Enrico on this one - far too much fiddling and poking and clattering around. That's probably why you find failed QC's. And how will feeding (unless you're talking feeding pollen patties) be helpful in anticipation of stores being needed. If you are going to go down the line of letting them requeen themselves - let them get on with it !

 

[enrico]

Both arguments have their pros and cons, personal preference methinks! Ever the diplomat!

E

 

[Haywards]

I have already decided that I will leave the bees to it. If this qc does not emerge I will reunite the remaining bees with the swarmed colony. The brood frames now have very few stores left but 15 frames of honey in the supers.
Question: will the queen-less bees consume the internal stores. They are still foraging the balsam. I'm going to clear the full super in case the weakened colony is being robbed.
Question: Is there any way to tell from external bee activity if the virgin queen has emerged? (Yes, I'm still a little anxious but also excited).

 

[enrico]

I would leave the super with the main hive and feed the nuc IF they need it, a swarm has all the instinct to forage as they are all old foraging bees. The bees that were left behind in the hive are not foragers so they need to keep the food!
E

 

[beeno]

And what is it going to achieve? b*gger all. I'm with Enrico on this one - far too much fiddling and poking and clattering around. That's probably why you find failed QC's. And how will feeding (unless you're talking feeding pollen patties) be helpful in anticipation of stores being needed. If you are going to go down the line of letting them requeen themselves - let them get on with it !

Hi Jenkins,
This time of the year it is no point in 'Waiting for Godot' when it comes to sealed QCs. As the QC was sealed it increases the risk of it being duff. If it is duff you may have laying workers by mid October. Not fair to the bees to shake them out then IMHO. The year before last we had frost in October. Increased welfare for the bees that's what we achieve and a unite in better weather conditions. I take itma's view on this i.e. quick check on marked frame that the virgin has exited.
I see early and late swarming/supercedure as risky judging by beeks' experiences on this forum. That's why I did not let my bees replace a perfectly laying new queen. So far so good. I have actually done this once before with success.
It is rather disrespectful to refer to my beeking as 'too much fiddling and poking and clattering around. That's probably why you find failed QC's.' In my hives I am not in a habit of finding failed QC, I don't find that many QC at all as I don't seem to have swarmy bees or could that be good management skills? Your assumption is that my beekeeping experiences are solely acquired from my own hives which is not the case.
As regards the feeding, I believe enrico dealt eloquently with that.
It is no need for all that rude faff it does not increase peoples beekeeping experience on the forum.