Poly Nuc box full of honey?

[Beeconfused]

I collected a big swarm in a six frame polystyrene Nuc box 12 days ago. The frames were new with new foundation.
I placed the Nuc in my garden and fed the bees with syrup to help them draw out the comb.
They took all the syrup in two days so I topped it up again but then I went on holiday for a week.
I came home yesterday and inspected the Nuc expecting to see the Queen and some drawn comb with eggs. What I found was six frames of honey, almost all of it has been capped. There were loads of worker bees but no sign of a queen or any brood at all and they had built comb right up into the feeder.
I transferred the frames out of the Nuc box into a National hive and filled it with five more frames of new foundation.
Please, can anyone suggest what is going on?

 

[Curly green finger's]

I collected a big swarm in a six frame polystyrene Nuc box 12 days ago. The frames were new with new foundation.
I placed the Nuc in my garden and fed the bees with syrup to help them draw out the comb.
They took all the syrup in two days so I topped it up again but then I went on holiday for a week.
I came home yesterday and inspected the Nuc expecting to see the Queen and some drawn comb with eggs. What I found was six frames of honey, almost all of it has been capped. There were loads of worker bees but no sign of a queen or any brood at all and they had built comb right up into the feeder.
I transferred the frames out of the Nuc box into a National hive and filled it with five more frames of new foundation.
Please, can anyone suggest what is going on?

Is there a queen present? Could do with some more information.
Sounds like a cast swarm with a virgin queen that's not mated.
And a good honey flow plus feeding syrup in a nuc they have just filled the nuc up with food.
I've had Mating queen's not come back this season in a national hive and they did just that.

Any brood at all?

Morning

 

[Boston Bees]

I collected a big swarm in a six frame polystyrene Nuc box 12 days ago. The frames were new with new foundation.
I placed the Nuc in my garden and fed the bees with syrup to help them draw out the comb.
They took all the syrup in two days so I topped it up again but then I went on holiday for a week.
I came home yesterday and inspected the Nuc expecting to see the Queen and some drawn comb with eggs. What I found was six frames of honey, almost all of it has been capped. There were loads of worker bees but no sign of a queen or any brood at all and they had built comb right up into the feeder.
I transferred the frames out of the Nuc box into a National hive and filled it with five more frames of new foundation.
Please, can anyone suggest what is going on?

In good weather, a big swarm does not need any syrup at all, let alone two loads. You've choked them with food.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In good weather, a big swarm does not need any syrup at all, let alone two loads. You've choked them with food.

overfed then possibly a virgin queen waiting to mate so they've just stuffed the comb with honey/syrup

 

[Beeconfused]

Is there a queen present? Could do with some more information.
Sounds like a cast swarm with a virgin queen that's not mated.
And a good honey flow plus feeding syrup in a nuc they have just filled the nuc up with food.
I've had Mating queen's not come back this season in a national hive and they did just that.

Any brood at all?

Morning

I am hoping there is a queen there somewhere but I could not find her. I agree, the frames have probably been filled with a good honey flow plus the feeding syrup. There is no brood at all and the frames are so full of stores there is no room for any unless they free up some space. Maybe I didn’t get the Queen in the first place but the bees seem very content in their new home. I posted this because I haven’t had this before.

 

[Beeconfused]

In good weather, a big swarm does not need any syrup at all, let alone two loads. You've choked them with food.

Maybe. I was following the advice of a video posted by the Norfolk Honey Company.

 

[Boston Bees]

Maybe. I was following the advice of a video posted by the Norfolk Honey Company.

Fair enough, I haven't seen that video

But a big swarm brings a ton of its own honey with it. It's preprepared to draw huge amounts of comb, and has a ready made forager force to go out and gather even more food. It has no need whatsoever of human intervention with syrup .

 

[Beeconfused]

Thanks for your feedback. I will know for next time. Lesson learned!

 

[oliver90owner]

Firstly the proper advice is not to feed for three days after hiving - due to possible pathogens being stored and later used to feed larvae.

A ‘big’ swarm should go into a deep brood box, not a tiny nuc.

I expect if is an over-fed, large cast - not a ‘big’ swarm - awaiting the queen to come into lay.

 

[Beeconfused]

Firstly the proper advice is not to feed for three days after hiving - due to possible pathogens being stored and later used to feed larvae.

A ‘big’ swarm should go into a deep brood box, not a tiny nuc.

I expect if is an over-fed, large cast - not a ‘big’ swarm - awaiting the queen to come into lay.

Good advice, thank you.
I collected the swarm from a neighbour‘s garden and I only had a poly nuc available. They are now in a National hive of 11 frames and I am hoping next time I inspect them I will find a laying queen.
Please can you suggest how long I should leave it before my next inspection?

 

[ericbeaumont]

suggest how long I should leave it before my next inspection

What are your thoughts?

 

[Boston Bees]

Please can you suggest how long I should leave it before my next inspection?

I would look in a week.

That will be 20 days since they arrived - given the warm weather this should be enough time for the queen to get mated and start laying, assuming she has some space to do so by that time. If no evidence of eggs by that time, close up and inspect again a week after that. It can take 6 weeks in some cases.

 

[Beeconfused]

I would look in a week.

That will be 20 days since they arrived - given the warm weather this should be enough time for the queen to get mated and start laying, assuming she has some space to do so by that time. If no evidence of eggs by that time, close up and inspect again a week after that. It can take 6 weeks in some cases.

Will do. Thank you for your advice.