Stupid stupid stupid us!

[SunnyRaes]

ARGH!!!

We've carried out 3 artificial swarms over the last month or so (first on the 26th, and 2 (3 way split of 1 hive) on the 30th). The queen-right colonies are fine (well, doing as you'd expect - 1 with supersedeure cells which we did another split of today).

We've made 1 fatal mistake with the splits. (well at least one...) We didn't inspect a week after and take out the emergency queen cells. This was kindly pointed out to us today, so we thought / we told we should have a look, so checked one of the 30th splits.

There was an open QC, as we'd expect. Minor problem however was the sealed (and rather puny) QC on one of the other frames.... ARGH!!! If we could have found a queen or princess, then we would have had some options, but we didn't. ARGH!!!

So what do we do?? Any suggestions??

I don't think we have many particularly great options... Only think I can think of is that we could put in a donated frame of eggs and chop out the sealed QC. That would give us time (assuming we haven't upset HRH too much by inspecting too early meaning she takes the colony with her tomorrow...!)

Gut feeling is we'll probably find something similar in the other 2 splits... We could inspect tomorrow, but again, I don't know whether we really should (actually, I don't think we have much option really...), and if we do, what the outcome might be...

ARGH!!!!

 

[sandysman]

If I am reading your comment correctly you have three splits done on 30th with sealed queen cells. It's now 12th and there is a chance that either you have virgin queens or newly mated queens, both are hard to spot. I would say that you need to check again in a weeks time. If the queen does not mate within 21 days she will go stale and then you are out of luck.
If you have a frame with eggs then try it, it is a good indicator, but patience is sometimes the name of the game.

 

[SunnyRaes]

Yes, you've read it mostly right, however 1 of the 3 splits was done on the 26th, so is a bit older than the other 2. We haven't checked that one yet though, or the other of the 30th splits.

I'd normally agree that patience would pay well, if it wasn't for this other sealed QC. If we don't take it out, we risk a swarm if there is already a princess / newly mated queen in there... (if we've not already had one!) Wouldn't we??

If that assumption is correct, then the frame of eggs and removal of the QC would buy some time to see if any queen starts laying, but also give some insurance should she not, or should she have gone...

I think?

 

[SunnyRaes]

It appears we are too late on the hive from the 26th - watched what might have been 5 or 6 princesses hatch and escape into the hive during inspection. I'd guess we've already lost a swarm if this has happened.

Any options on this, or is it now swarm central (or will the princesses fight it out?)

We're inspecting hive 4, which was done on the 30th and finding pollen, polished cells, but 1 imminently emerging qc (as well as a few newer ones which we've removed). I'm guessing that there is likely to be a newly mated queen in here already, and the about-to-hatch qc is a risk?

As for the other ones - inspect and do something (as I suggested above maybe) or just leave them to it?

 

[SunnyRaes]

OK, well princess in hive 4 has hatched, but we've got her safe, so it's whether to release her, or whether to "do something else"....

 

[SunnyRaes]

OK, well...

Hive 4 closed up, and taken the princess away. If the cells are polished and they're bringing in pollen, then its likely they already have (and should have given the timings) a queen already, so we'll just leave them now.

Hive 2, which was the one with probably 6 virgins emerging, we're just leaving as is and let them fight it out. We're never going to find all the virgins, so there isn't anything we can do now other than wait to see whether more than one survives and takes a cast. *sigh*

The commercial hive - we've taken out the queen cell and on the advice of our mentor (he may not know it...) run in the virgin from hive 4, on the basis that if its queen right, they'll deal with the virgin, and if it isn't, then they've got a queen.

This has been a learning experience, that's for sure.