Possible no queen?

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Tomlinson

New Bee
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Apr 4, 2024
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Preston
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I have a Warre hive that swarmed last week, but there are still good numbers of bees with odd ones bringing pollen back. Yesterday lots of bees milling around the entrance just flying around and looking agitated? Anybody any ideas?
 
I have a Warre hive that swarmed last week, but there are still good numbers of bees with odd ones bringing pollen back. Yesterday lots of bees milling around the entrance just flying around and looking agitated? Anybody any ideas?
My idea is to go in and destroy all but one queen cell. Nothing unusual about their activity. Nothing unusual that the first virgin out will throw a cast either
 
I had a Warren hive for a season. It then produced the biggest swarm I have ever seen.
It was fun to look after, and interesting.
But definitely a high swarm risk.
So I replaced it with a National beehive
 
I have a Warre hive that swarmed last week, but there are still good numbers of bees with odd ones bringing pollen back. Yesterday lots of bees milling around the entrance just flying around and looking agitated? Anybody any ideas?

Normally the colony does 2 swarms. Second swarm after a week.
 
I have a Warre hive that swarmed last week, but there are still good numbers of bees with odd ones bringing pollen back. Yesterday lots of bees milling around the entrance just flying around and looking agitated? Anybody any ideas?
You have to go in ASAP ..there will be other queen cells - you need to find them (look in all the corners and sides - it's not easy if you are running warre's with just top bars but you have to find them). Knock down all bar one ...

If you don't - in two weeks you could be left with a very small colony or indeed, no bees at all, they will continue to swarm as each virgin emerges with whatever there is of the foraging force left at the time.
 
still good numbers of bees with odd ones bringing pollen back
Not an indication that the colony is queenright and has given up swarming, merely that bees are doing what bees do.

bees milling around the entrance just flying around and looking agitated
Likely to be coming to terms with the missing queen, and now making emergency QCs in addition to the swarm QCs already present.

A Warré is not an ideal tool to learn about & manage the workings of a colony, and when it swarms you will either give away free bees to others or give problems for your neighbours, when a swarm goes down a chimney or inside a flat roof (last one I did cost £600 to remove, against the pro quote of £4-5K).

any ideas?
Mull over your reasons for keeping bees; management work is necessary to avoid loss of swarms and consequent loss of crop, and a moveable-frame hive may suit better for those purposes.

http://www.dheaf.plus.com/warrebeekeeping/warre_experiment_heaf.htm
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/warre-hives.45992/
 
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