My Swarm

[Bee Island]

I collected a swarm from a barn that had been there a few weeks in some old brood boxes. They had made some combe with un capped stores but no brood. I placed them in my national hive with new frames two and half weeks ago and put a feed on i had a look yesterday they look strong and very calm. As you can see from the pics some capped cells and a queen cell wich they were in and out of when i was observing load of stores some capped nice and white loads of pollen too.. WOT DO YOU THINK ? leave and see if i get a queen or add some brood from a freind ??

 

[susbees]

Hi Bee Island

Have you done a beginners' course or read any books on beekeeping at all? Firstly bees passing a queen cup will stick their heads in whatever...is there anything actually in it?

The brood on here is drone brood and all over the place. The queen is possibly a drone layer and not properly mated.

Are there any patches of eggs anywhere on the bottom of the cells? Are there any groups of capped cells that look like the bottom of Jaffa cakes and are biscuity coloured?

Whatever, there is no point in adding brood if the laying queen is firing blanks without removing her first. And you won't get a queen without worker brood.

Do you have someone local and experienced who could have a look for you?

 

[susbees]

And for info your queen is top left of the first photo

What's bothering me a bit is that most of the frame also looks like drone-sized cells...was this natural comb or on worker foundation? The more experienced will correct me but isn't drawing drone brood is a bit unusual for a new swarm?

 

[dpearce4]

Hi Bee

just had a look at your pics and Susbees is right about the capped drone. even though i dont like the tone of her reply.

if you look on the first pic just by the frame edge you can see HM. she looks good but like all women looks can be deceptive (could be all makeup and plastic surgery)lol lol sorry.

I have looked up where you live and i would recomend you have a look at www . kentbee . com and maybe join your local ass if you arnt already a member. its good for all things inc bbka insurance if nothing else.

there are always members of associations that are more than happy to be mentors for newbeeks. and they will be able to tell if you have a drone layer if you can get them to do an inspection with u.

hope this helps.

 

[Skyhook]

I agree- looks like a drone laying queen, or DLQ. Use the search function on here to find how to deal with it- chances are they're trying to make a queen out of a drone egg, and you'll just end up with a big confused drone.

 

[warts]

Hi Bee Island
Others will advise you...I am not experienced enough. But just wanted to say your pictures are very good, in particular they appear to me really clear and I am sure will be useful to enable others to give advice (as has already started).

Good luck, and hope the outcome is a positive one

Sally

 

[Bee Island]

Hi thanks for your reply i have done a course and have local help just waiting for them to have a look. I thought that was the queen quite new to bee keeping didnt want to commit my self l.o.l I thought i would give the forum a try my first posting.. No sign of eggs in a patch but i will check in a few days..

 

[Bee Island]

Thanks Sally..

 

[Bee Island]

Thanks for that i am a member of a ass recently that was a bit of a sting from susbee l.o.l

 

[RoseCottage]

Hi,
I think you have been given sound advice by Susbees. Actually we are a friendly lot and I don't think there was any 'tone' to Susbees posts.
welcome to the forum.
I agree it appears to be capped drone cells but have a look in a few days just to ensure you are only seeing drone brood cells. There is much discussion on the forum about DLQ's and searching and having a quick read should prove very helpful too,

all the best,
Sam

 

[Bee Island]

Thanks Sam i will check the weekend...

all the best
kev....

 

[Flatters]

Welcome BeeIsland.

Great shots. I especially like the last shot with the incoming bee.

Good advice from Susbees and they spotted the queen no problem.

Good luck

 

[Bee Island]

Thanks Flatters..

 

[susbees]

she looks good but like all women looks can be deceptive (could be all makeup and plastic surgery)lol lol sorry.

Thanks Sam and Flatters.

This is a case of the pot calling the kettle black indeed (and so unfunny). I have a long way to go before joining the "blunter" members of this community and long ago accepted that any useful reply during the busy season is better than none .

I did seven hours without a break on the apiary today before the next cr*p weather moves in.

 

[drstitson]

IMHO susbees "tone" was nothing of the sort and perfectly justified. It was just a simple observation given the fact that you (OP) had omitted a crucial word (drone) in the post. The use of the phrase "capped cells" rather than "drone brood" suggested a beginner with little or no experience/training/support.

random drone brood with no organised "proper" (jaffa cake base!) brood suggests a DLQ (old or unmated).

 

[oliver90owner]

Here goes for another take; short on tact but honest and no punches pulled for the benefit of a comfy OP. At the very least you do not want unhelpful comments about how the queen might look at 40 paces.

Your information is short of the facts needed to go forward in the best way.

I am guessing the colony was a cast and the virgin did not mate (properly). Not unusual, this season.

I am guessing the swarm did not draw (all) the comb they are on? The comb in the pics does look fairly new (not darkened) so may all be the product of the colony.

I have little idea of the strength of the colony. I am guessing it is not a 'strong' colony by any means of assessment.

I can see it has some stores

As Susbees, get rid of the queen and replace with a good one unless there is a recent patch of worker brood.

How you do it imay depend very much up to the missing data. It is getting later and raising a new queen in situ is getting more of a lottery as the days pass, especially for a small/weak colony.

The alternatives might be:
Use a test frame
Add a queen cell
Introduce a virgin
Introduce a laying queen

Without knowing enough about the colony I would go for the last option. Certainly not the first!

A laying queen may be available from your local beeks or you might buy one in. A laying queen would result in new brood emerging not so much more than 3 weeks after introduction. (the first option could easily be 7 weeks or even more!).

At this stage of the season, things are getting tighter for effective repulsion of wasp attacks over the coming weeks (new beeks are particulrly at risk in that department, I find).

Don't wait too long before actioning a plan. Time is not on your side.

RAB