Swarm query

[Bevbee]

I split my hive at the beginning of May. In effect I performed an AS but there were no QC present.

I figured that the hive with all of the brood ( except for the one frame ) would build emergency QC and that the queen would emerge last Sunday/ Monday- -and I just left them alone .

This hive swarmed yesterday - I collected them ( from a very high tree ) and rehoused them last night . I inspected the hive that they had swarmed from and found three other QCs I removed all but one .

My questions are - do they swarm with virgin queens ? I assumed that after she emerged that I would have another week or so before she mated. Isn't frying off with an unproven virgin a bit risky for them ?

- what else should I do now ( if anything ?)

Thanks

 

[mjt68]

I split my hive at the beginning of May. In effect I performed an AS but there were no QC present.

I figured that the hive with all of the brood ( except for the one frame ) would build emergency QC and that the queen would emerge last Sunday/ Monday- -and I just left them alone .

This hive swarmed yesterday - I collected them ( from a very high tree ) and rehoused them last night . I inspected the hive that they had swarmed from and found three other QCs I removed all but one .

My questions are - do they swarm with virgin queens ? I assumed that after she emerged that I would have another week or so before she mated. Isn't frying off with an unproven virgin a bit risky for them ?

- what else should I do now ( if anything ?)

Thanks

Casts are swarms headed by a vigin. If a colony is very large they will swarm with the mated queen (the prime swarm) and the next emerging virgins as 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc. casts leaving some virgins behind to become the new queen of the original colony.

As you've learned, if you're doing splits that way you need to check back and remove QCs.

 

[Bevbee]

Yes - I have learned that !

thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Casts are swarms headed by a vigin. If a colony is very large they will swarm with the mated queen (the prime swarm)

Not quite right - the prime swarm can be headed by a virgin (this can happen if the hive swarmed with a clipped queen, wich they quickly lose, return to the hive then sw3arm with the first emerged virgin - hence they are a prime,from the Latin Prime first) the second swarm out will be a cast, the third a colt and so on.

 

[Bevbee]

Thank you

That also explains why there were enough bees to fill the hive ( this must have been prime/ first to go - and with a virgin queen)

As the hive that they swarmed from now has a single QC I intend to leave it alone for three weeks and then inspect for eggs . Ditto hive with the swarm . I will then ( depending on results ) combine or leave as separate hives. Does this seem like a sensible plan ?

Bev

 

[Bevbee]

Thank you

That also explains why there were enough bees to fill the hive ( this must have been prime/ first to go - and with a virgin queen)

As the hive that they swarmed from now has a single QC I intend to leave it alone for three weeks and then inspect for eggs . Ditto hive with the swarm . I will then ( depending on results ) combine or leave as separate hives. Does this seem like a sensible plan ?

Bev

Thank you

That also explains why there were enough bees to fill the hive ( this must have been prime/ first to go - and with a virgin queen)

As the hive that they swarmed from now has a single QC I intend to leave it alone for three weeks and then inspect for eggs . Ditto hive with the swarm . I will then ( depending on results ) combine or leave as separate hives. Does this seem like a sensible plan ?

Bev

 

[enrico]

Three weeks may not be long enough, depends so much on circumstances so don't think you are queenless just because there are no eggs in three weeks.