Mating flight

[Paulf]

Following on from my recent posts. Checked my new nuc and queen cell hatched quickly closed up and now waiting the four weeks as advised. Ther are very few foragers in the nuc what happens when the new queen goes on her mating flight will she just go on her own. the hive q cell was gone as well didn't spend time looking after seeing it gone. The bees in the hive have calmed right down and working frantically. Pollen going in does this meea brood or will they still bring pollen even when q- and until queen lays.

 

[beeno]

Following on from my recent posts. Checked my new nuc and queen cell hatched quickly closed up and now waiting the four weeks as advised. Ther are very few foragers in the nuc what happens when the new queen goes on her mating flight will she just go on her own. the hive q cell was gone as well didn't spend time looking after seeing it gone. The bees in the hive have calmed right down and working frantically. Pollen going in does this meea brood or will they still bring pollen even when q- and until queen lays.

Hi Paulf,
I would check for eggs, if you are good at spotting them, two weeks from emergence. They will collect pollen even if they don't have any brood, but it will increase dramatically when they do. If you can hear any piping from your hives then you have more than one virgin in there! Lots of luck with the mating.

 

[itma]

Following on from my recent posts. Checked my new nuc and queen cell hatched quickly closed up and now waiting the four weeks as advised. Ther are very few foragers in the nuc what happens when the new queen goes on her mating flight will she just go on her own. the hive q cell was gone as well didn't spend time looking after seeing it gone. The bees in the hive have calmed right down and working frantically. Pollen going in does this meea brood or will they still bring pollen even when q- and until queen lays.

1/ not necessarily. You may see something a bit like a half-hearted swarm that returns and beards the front of their original hive.

2/ sounds like there is a Q in there. Leave it at the very least two weeks after the Q emerged from her cell before thinking of checking for brood. Start worrying if you don't spot any brood 4 weeks after emergence - by then she'd be leaving it a bit late. But give it 6 weeks before giving up on her totally.

 

[Finman]

.
The queen does not need foragers to mate, but when laying, can the colony develope if it is very small?

It needs at least 5 frames bees now that you get a hive for winter.

 

[Paulf]

Thank you I'll wait at least two weeks then. Will the nuc fill up too fast for me to leave them in there. Will I need to hive them before the winter. When you say five frames of bees do you mean when you take the frame out that it is covered in bees. Is this how you measure the size.( obviously roughly)

 

[beeno]

Hi Paulf,
Your first priority is to get both queens mated and laying en masse. It is a wait and see situation, not too long though IMHO, as to future action. You want two good colonies in Aug. so that they can make winter bees for Sept/Oct.

 

[Paulf]

I read a lot on here about double brood and brood and a half. Do people over winter on this as well. Am I looking at two full brood boxes to over winter
Thank you so much for your help

 

[Cazza]

I read a lot on here about double brood and brood and a half. Do people over winter on this as well. Am I looking at two full brood boxes to over winter
Thank you so much for your help

It will depend on the colony size in the Autumn. Some of mine will be single national, some double brood.
Cazza

 

[Finman]

When you say five frames of bees do you mean when you take the frame out that it is covered in bees. Is this how you measure the size.( obviously roughly)

I look to the hive. The last seem filled with bees is the last frame.

Swarm and the colony after few days is different thing. But after a week you see, how much they have build and how many seems they fill. The rest is extra which should be taken away. After 3 weeks only half of bees are alive. Brood makes heat to the hive too.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman is right, Cazza is right, Itma is right.

A full brood box should normally be enough in your part of the country - maybe last winter was one of the recent exceptions. I run 14 x 12s and often remove stores in the spring to make space for brooding. That is equivalent to a brood and a super for winter.

I can say that expectation of brood before a fortnight is not a formality. Likely there would be at this time of the year, but still not certain - it depends so much on the local weather at the time.

RAB

 

[Paulf]

It's seems to be sinking in I'm sure as the summer draws to a close I will be here getting as much advise as possible.
Thank you all so much for all your advice

 

[BWIZZ]

4 weeks?

Hi Guys

At the risk of asking a stupid question..... If you wait 4 weeks after she leaves her cell, won't the hive be empty and she will be on her own!?

Im in this position now after a swarm with two nucs, the Queen is due out this Friday.

I was going to wait seven days, and would expect to find her laying from what I have read, weather permitting of course.

Thanks

 

[Paulf]

Not if she was in there with frames of bias they will be replacing older bees all the time. 6 weeks for the bee plus capped brood and larve 10 weeks at least. Before she's alone I would think but I'm just a beginner.

 

[BWIZZ]

yeah thats sounds about right to me didn't think of that!