the only stupid question

[Chris B]

9 days, 7 days, 11 days?

If you have a clipped queen and there are no queen cells seen on an inspection, then you have at least 16 days before a virgin emerges to leave with a swarm. So you can wait up to 16 days until the next inspection.

But if you find queen cells (sealed or otherwise) and tear them down, bees might make emergency cells with old larvae, so they might cap them 1 day later, and a virgin emerges after 8 more days. 8 + 1 = 9 days until the subsequent inspection to be safe. But this 9 day gap is not a regular interval to be observed throughout the season, it's only if you've destroyed queen cells or left only unsealed ones intact.

This is the theory at least. Failing to destroy all the sealed cells is the obvious pitfall, and it's easy to miss one. And it could occasionally get worse. A swarm loses it's clipped queen, but instead of going home, in all the confusion it merges with a virgin swarm from the same apiary and off goes the mega-swarm. I've witnessed swarm merging a few times.

This season I'm planning a 14 day regular inspection cycle with clipped queens, with a one-off 7 day gap after I find queen cells the first time. It's the first season I'm trying this regime so we'll see if it really works. My one concern is it might give me more late-season swarming to deal with.

 

[Finman]

9

This season I'm planning a 14 day regular inspection cycle with clipped queens, .

With this system bees get a virgin queen and get out.

 

[Chris B]

With this system bees get a virgin queen and get out.

How? It takes 16 days to make a virgin with normal swarm cells.

 

[Finman]

How? It takes 16 days to make a virgin with normal swarm cells.

Minus 3 days as egg.

You are going to see all queen cells cups do they have egg inside.

Bees have often hidden queen cell with which swarm may escape.

But you have so much experience that you do what you like.
For beginner that is not a good advice.

You must have a limit time too if you have bad rain days and you cannot open hives.

 

[Poly Hive]

Finman is right.

Worst advice I read this month was to remove all cells would stop swarming. Utter rubbish. One book going on Ebay. LOL

PH

 

[Chris B]

Worst advice I read this month was to remove all cells would stop swarming.

There are many beekeepers around who believe this unfortunately. The truth is you could lose a swarm 2 days after tearing down cells if your queen is unclipped. You can't mix and match different methods without understanding the underlying principles.

Finman, I take your point thanks. It's easy enough to miss a full blown cell, let alone a new cup. My habit is to check them but I will miss some. However, 16 - 3 = 13 days. I'll be unlucky to lose many swarms even if I deliberately ignore cups.