My bees swarmed

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Jess132

New Bee
Joined
May 30, 2012
Messages
18
Reaction score
0
Location
Salford, Manchester
Hive Type
None
Number of Hives
4
Hi all, I'm looking for some practical advice. I'm a new beekeeper ( started in july 11) and have taken over several hives.
Last week i conducted my routine inspection and noticed that one of the hives had all sealed brood and closed queen cells. I knew that my bees had probably swarmed, so i left one sealed queen cell and closed the hive back up. I didn't see the orginal queen who is normally visable.
Should I leave this hive for 3 weeks now or should i open it up and double check that i didn't miss anything?
Any helps useful
thanks
 
Do the sums and check the queen has hatched. If this failed you don't want to be waiting around. Queenless colonies can be vile.

Welcome btw :)
 
Yep, a good tip is to mark the frame with the queen cell you leave, all you have to do then is check that frame to see the condition of the cell.
 
Thanks guy, I'm going to open that hive up tomorrow and check to see if she's hatched, if she has, I will then leave them to it for a few weeks, if she's laying then i'll mark her, if not i'll have to introduce another queen.

Thanks for your help! :) Much appreciated
 
I would also consider the stores position, they will still be foraging even when Q- or with a virgin queen. I left mine completely alone for nearly 3 weeks, without a super (stupidly) and when I checked for egg laying found the brood area completely honey bound. I have since put a super on, and the bees are starting to clear a space in the brood area, which seems encouraging, but still no wiser as to whether she is a layer or not as yet.
 
Thanks sus, I also agree that the comment 'emerged, not hatched' is a bit pedantic too. I have to say, hand heart that i've met quite a lot of really nice and helpful beekeepers however there are a few people in this game that seem to stick their nose's up at inexperienced beekeepers, which I find really frustrating. anyway...

Thanks for all your help!
 
Thanks sus, I also agree that the comment 'emerged, not hatched' is a bit pedantic too. I have to say, hand heart that i've met quite a lot of really nice and helpful beekeepers however there are a few people in this game that seem to stick their nose's up at inexperienced beekeepers, which I find really frustrating. anyway...

Thanks for all your help!

Would be pedantry if 'hatched' wasn't a word with a similar meaning. If you're trying to work out if a virgin's gone stale, and someone asks how long ago did she hatch?', it matters whether your answer refers to day 3 or day 16.

Anyway, the point I was going to make was- don't examine at the height of the day, in case the virgin is out, and you frighten her off coming back.

.
 

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