Not sure if this has been asked, so

[Silly Bee]

At what stage of a Queen cell development are the bees likely to swarm?

 

[Winker]

At what stage of a Queen cell development are the bees likely to swarm?

any time before they are sealed. Normaly once they are sealled they hive has swarmed. But that said, last week i had capped cells and it looked like my queen was still there. She was kept from swarming by bad weather.

I did and AS without the queen, and on inspection today of the old BB there she was and they had taken down the queen cell that was in the BB.

So weather permitting, before the cells are capped

 

[Silly Bee]

Thanks.

I took out a QC last week which hatched in my hand, but had not swarmed.

I'm expecting them to try again, but the weather is a tad poor at the moment, and wondered if they would go before I had chance to inspect.

 

[Poly Hive]

Not so winker... not so... seen many a colony unswarmed with sealed cells and HM there.

PH

 

[Silly Bee]

So it can be almost anytime after they start making a QC?

 

[oliver90owner]

Only if you try to thwart them. They normally swarm on the first sealed cell, given good weather conditions.

Think about it - the weekly inspection cycle generally gives the beek the alarm and time to A/S.

However, break down the cells a couple of times in hot weather with a crowded hive and they may be off in about 5 days, perhaps only four on occasions. They would not go earlier first time around.

RAB

 

[Tom Bick]

Assuming swarm sells

 

[Winker]

Not so winker... not so... seen many a colony unswarmed with sealed cells and HM there.

PH

Aye but is not a better rule of thumb, to AS swarm before the cell is capped? Once its capped there is a high chance its too late?

 

[Midland Beek]

I do not think there are many colonies that will swarm without a sealed queen cell in the hive.