Swarming?

[North End Bees]

Best to choose an open cell, heavily dimpled, in a fairly protected situation ( cells left on bottom of frame are easily accidentally squashed). Mark the chosen frame.

If there is a good open cell that would be best.
But do check in your Haynes book the visual difference between an unsealed Queen cell (with larva in) and an already opened cell, which would mean you already have a virgin queen in the hive.

 

[Will Kevans]

If there is a good open cell that would be best.
But do check in your Haynes book the visual difference between an unsealed Queen cell (with larva in) and an already opened cell, which would mean you already have a virgin queen in the hive.

what if I do have a virgin queen in the hive? There seem to be a lot of queen cells.

 

[Will Kevans]

Tackling this now I've opted to service the existing hive as Jenkins Brynmair suggested. I'm keen t reinforce this colony so I'll err on the side of caution. Cut out all the queen cells and leave one then see what transpires over the coming weeks.The weathers been up and down here, we had a week of very hot spring weather, but now we've gone back to wet and a bit cold. Thanks to all for your advice I was tempted to do a split and increase my hives but this may be too risky. I'll keep you posted on how this pans out.

 

[pargyle]

First thing you need to check is whether any of the queen cells are open - then you need to determine if they have larvae in them ... if there are then you need to choose one you are going to keep.

if there is/are one or more queen cells that have been opened (the lid will still be there but bent back) then the odds are that the colony has already swarmed and you may have a virgin in there. Not much you can do apart from move one of the queen cells into a nuc with a frame of bees and some stores - that's your reserve queen. Then knock down all the others and leave the original hive alone for the virgin to get mated.

If (all) the queen cells are all sealed - it's likely that the colony will have swarmed - they normally go at the point the cells are sealed ... but - they may not have swarmed - so can you find the queen ? If not .. plan B - knock all the queen cells bar two down - leave one in the original colony and as above move one to a nuc as a spare ...

 

[Boston Bees]

I was tempted to do a split and increase my hives but this may be too risky.

You have one hive. Betting everything on one queen cell, that you can't see into, that may or may not contain a live queen - and even if a queen does emerge it may not return from its mating flight, feels like betting the house on black to me, and by far the riskiest option. But your call.

 

[North End Bees]

It's a tricky one, virgins are very difficult for beginners to spot at the best of times as they are not the slow and 'stately' movers that mature queens are.

As you only have one hive, obviously you don't want to risk leaving it with no viable queen. On the other hand you don't want to risk it depleting by throwing a cast swarm.
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For me personally, I'd go with making up a nuc with a good Q cell. Don't shake the frame but inspect it very carefully for any extra hidden cells. Add house bees and put it on the original stand.

Knock down all the Q cells in the original hive. Try to do the manipulation later in the day in case the Queen is out on a mating flight.

 

[Will Kevans]

You have one hive. Betting everything on one queen cell, that you can't see into, that may or may not contain a live queen - and even if a queen does emerge it may not return from its mating flight, feels like betting the house on black to me, and by far the riskiest option. But your call.

Ok maybe Ill go back to your plan then, more like spread bet and I may get an extra hive out of it hopefully.So my understanding is one queen cell on frame with some brood and food into a nuc.Then back to the main hive cut all queen cells bar one. The new nuc in proximity to the original hive?

 

[Antipodes]

Will....was there a "decision" (or guess) made about whether or not the colony has swarmed already?
Sorry if this has already been determined, but the colony has a bit of an "already swarmed" look about it to me. I like the idea of getting another colony out of it to hedge your bets and just to have two, but less inclined if you've lost the prime swarm.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Ok maybe Ill go back to your plan then, more like spread bet and I may get an extra hive out of it hopefully.

or end up with two pitifully weak colonies, neither of which will mount up to much

 

[Antipodes]

or end up with two pitifully weak colonies, neither of which will mount up to much

Yes...particularly if that first video Will posted is the aftermath of the prime swarm (which I'm suspicious it is).
The answer to question in the first post (is it normal behaviour or a colony about to swarm?) could be possibly be "neither", but rather, behaviour of one that just has.

 

[North End Bees]

or end up with two pitifully weak colonies, neither of which will mount up to much

Yes but can reunite when you have a laying queen in one.

 

[Will Kevans]

A lot of decisions here!Do I use 2 sealed queen cells as my cells to keep in each?

 

[Will Kevans]

If my bees have swarmed and I can locate them, may i be able to capture them?

 

[Murox]

If my bees have swarmed and I can locate them, may i be able to capture them?

Yes. of course.

 

[Boston Bees]

If my bees have swarmed and I can locate them, may i be able to capture them?

They swarmed at least 6 days ago, based on your video. By now they will already have moved into their new permanent home, goodness knows where. Getting them out of there is unlikely to be easy, even if you can find them, which you probably won't.

Recapturing swarms needs to be done while they are still hanging on a tree branch somewhere, and they only do this for somewhere between 1 and 48 hours in general

 

[Will Kevans]

I have to admit to being nervous about locating suitable QCs and destroying or setting aside those which I have elected to destroy. But now decided on 2 frames one of brood and one with queen on into a nuc adjacent to the other hive.

 

[pargyle]

I have to admit to being nervous about locating suitable QCs and destroying or setting aside those which I have elected to destroy. But now decided on 2 frames one of brood and one with queen on into a nuc adjacent to the other hive.

Stating the obvious but be sure there are enough bees in the nuc to service the brood ....

 

[Will Kevans]

one more thought, Im thinking frame 3 with brood and reserve honey with 5 with 1 capped queen cell. in video.

 

[Will Kevans]

Stating the obvious but be sure there are enough bees in the nuc to service the brood ....

Not sure how to guage that, but just whats on the frames I remove?

 

[pargyle]

Not sure how to guage that, but just whats on the frames I remove?

Yes .. what;'s on the frames you move plus, if in doubt, another cupful.