Swarm Season Not Over Yet

[daytonadean]

Hi All

This nice weather seems to have started a late swarm session.

I collected 2 swarms today both in the same village.

So look out for Queen cells..........

Dean

 

[Somerford]

were they large swarms ? see my thread...found 3 cells this afternoon in a hive !

 

[tidymeup]

would anyone like to donate a swarm to a budding newbie ? i know it's a bit cheeky but if you don't ask you don't get.

 

[m100]

would anyone like to donate a swarm to a budding newbie ? i know it's a bit cheeky but if you don't ask you don't get.

I donated one to the wild on Monday, not sure they could fly all the way to Macclesfield though.

 

[tidymeup]

Maybe a little on the far side for them to travel however i could travel that distance easily also not sure i could find them that easily either.

 

[Firegazer]

I'd have a swarm too if there's was a chance - could collect . . .

 

[Stiffy]

I have just removed a swarm from a tree and being a new beek myself I am not sure of the value of such a late swarm but if a new beek in Cornwall would like them please PM me.
Cheers

 

[tidymeup]

i would have jumped at the chance but cornwall is a little far, thanks for the offer.

 

[eddy current]

Had a hive swarm 2-3 weeks ago but managed to capture it and successfully install in a fresh hive. Original hive checked on regular basis, no queen found, no new brood or eggs. Looks as though I have a queenless hive.
Is it too late to requeen? Does anyone know where I can purchase a mated queen. Any help appreciated.

Bob

 

[Hivemaker.]

Eddy,have you placed a frame of brood/eggs in the hive you think is Q- ?

 

[eddy current]

No I haven't tried a frame of brood/eggs in the hive. I'm an absolute beginner so please what would that prove(not trying to be facetious). I could take a frame from the re-hived swarm, which is the original queen and is laying as though it's going out of fashion.

Bob

 

[DrNick]

They would raise a new queen from one of the eggs.

 

[Hivemaker.]

It will indicate if they are Q- or not,if the bee's start Q cells,then they should be Q-, if not,they have a virgin,which if you were to try and introduce a new mated Q would be executed.

 

[oliver90owner]

Not quite the idea. It would determine (hopefully) if the colony was Q+ or Q-.

2-3 weeks is about right, if the weather has been favourable, for the new queen - if she is there - to start laying. 2 weeks would be on the short side.

It's easy to miss a small queen.

Young brood is the order of the day and Q/C drawing will be seen very quickly. If no queen, you would be too late to leave the queen cells to develop now. An introduced laying queen would be you only real chance of requeening.

Even that would be risky unless you over-winter as a nucleus, IMO.

My gut feeling would be to determine there is no queen and re-unite at this time of the year.

Regards, RAB

 

[Hivemaker.]

So what is not quite the idea?
As regards whether they would be okay to re queen,would depend on the strength of the colony.

 

[eddy current]

The colony appears to be quite strong. Plenty of workers coming and going with a load of pollen, don't know where they are getting it or what it is. Other 2 hives the same.

Bob

 

[Hivemaker.]

Do the test with a frame of brood Eddy,and have a look at it in a few days to see if they have drawn out any emergency cells from the face of the comb,you can see this by the next day,but a few days will make it more obvious,then get back to us with the results.

 

[eddy current]

Okay, I'll do that first thing in morninig using frame from original colony.
Thanks a lot for the help and guidance.

Bob

 

[oliver90owner]

Hivemaker.,

So what is not quite the idea?

Sorry. Previous post by DrNick. Still typing when you posted. Reference to raising a queen being far to late.

Thought you would see that as I covered about everything you did in duplicate twice.

Regards, RAB

 

[MJBee]

Bob,
I may be too late but just to clarify, the frame you give must contain larvae no bigger than a lower case "c" anything bigger is too old. When I give a test frame I try and make sure it contains eggs AND larvae. Good luck.
Mike