New Queen swarmed after 10 days

[Tigger]

In a new split a new queen emerged about 13 June (plus or minus a couple of days).

On 28 June it seems I missed seeing eggs/larvae because on 4 July (6 days later) I find sealed brood, larger larvae but no eggs or small larvae.
AND I found several charged QCs and two sealed QCs.

She had plenty of room available. On 28th I noted that the colony was "nice and busy".

Can anyone suggest what happened here. Is it unusual for a new queen to swarm?

Thank you.

 

[Buzzlodge]

Might you have inadvertently killed the queen during your inspection on 28 june, or caused the workers to kill the queen?

Queen cells made from older larvae would just be capped by 4 July and those from eggs would still be uncapped.

 

[Ian123]

Not sure if something else hasn’t gone on here if she only emerged on the 13th she got up and going fast. Putting that aside some new queens are duds it’s not uncommon for some to turn drone layers or some to start laying and then fail or for the bees to immediately start supercedure. And yes if space is tight it’s perfectly possible for new queens to lay up available space in say a nuc and swarm.

 

[Tigger]

Thanks Buzzlodge and Ian. I hadn't thought of the Q being killed.

Still, I think there should hardly be sealed QCs 6 days later (??).

Ian123 makes good point that she seemed to be in action pretty quickly. Makes me wonder whether there might have been a QC there at the time of the split (30 May).

Anyway, I suppose I'll just have to leave one QC and let them start the process again.

Thanks again.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Still, I think there should hardly be sealed QCs 6 days later (??).

Why? I normally reckon on 5 after grafting. If I eke to 6 I congratulate myself on my superpowers of catching them at the transition from egg to larva.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

In a new split a new queen emerged about 13 June (plus or minus a couple of days).

Can anyone suggest what happened here. Is it unusual for a new queen to swarm?

Thank you.

i've had a few colonies this spring, which were expanding incredibly fast, where a new queen emerged, mated and was laying and within a week of starting to lay (3 weeks post emerging) the hives had q cells in again

they were double broods and full of bees and a local chap advised they just needed splitting again

i wondered if the 'swarm fever' as Finamn calls it hadnt been suppressed by the q into a nuc approach to initial swarm control that i'd done

 

[bobthecob]

i've had a few colonies this spring, which were expanding incredibly fast, where a new queen emerged, mated and was laying and within a week of starting to lay (3 weeks post emerging) the hives had q cells in again

they were double broods and full of bees and a local chap advised they just needed splitting again

i wondered if the 'swarm fever' as Finamn calls it hadnt been suppressed by the q into a nuc approach to initial swarm control that i'd done

Out of interest, can I ask if you put brood in with the queen when you put her in a nuc? Or just stores and some bees to support her? Thanks

 

[Ian123]

At the very least sealed or better emerging brood when making up nucs.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Out of interest, can I ask if you put brood in with the queen when you put her in a nuc? Or just stores and some bees to support her? Thanks

on a couple i just put q on 1 frame of bia and 1 of stores as an insurance policy

a couple of others i took a full nuc out (4bia and 2 stores)

i had ended up with a lot of brood in some of them as well as stores and i think some of the newly emerged queens came out to full hives which swarm preps again

 

[chipper]

I have tried LOTS of different Q introduction methods....
The most successful method...
2 Frames stores on outside... 2 Frames part stores /part empty cells ..in middle...for the Q to start laying
with enough young bees to cover the 4 Frames if possible ..
I take these from 4 different hives if possible.
Absolutely NO brood or eggs...
Check Frames for the Queen to ensure you don't remove her...
Add 1 or 2 Frames foundation as needed
Move to new apiary site.
Put Q with or without workers in cage and open the tab
Place Intro. Cage on top of Frames if the cage will fit or hang between Frames...
Leave alone at least a week...
I don't feed until they are checked...then usually fondant if they have stores ...
Only using syrup when they are very short of stores
I reckon to achieve 99/100 ..the only failures occur when I miss a Queen..
It does take longer for such a nuc to build up but is so successful I can be patient about this....!
I introduce about 120 Queens a season...