Virgin Queens and inspections

[AndreaW]

On the basis that I have two hives with virgin queens (hopefully now mated) that are one week and 2 weeks old. When should I do a full inspection of them again?

I looked at them last weekend to check what had happened to my capped queen cells (now hatched) and to check that no more were being built (as had one hive with a virgin queen - split from a hive that had swarmed, returned after losing clipped queen and hatched a queen cell and the other we had split from where we had left a couple of capped queen cells).

I don't want to inspect too much if the queen might still be on mating flights. I am regularly checking to see how supers are drawing out and filling - every 3 days, but have been leaving the brood boxes since last Sunday.

Thanks

 

[justme]

i'd leave them for 2 weeks at least before inspecting, then only inspect before 10am or in the evening or very late afternoon. You dont want the queen to come back when the hive is open, she may not enter the hive or even recognise the hive. You could lose her.

 

[oliver90owner]

What are you going to inspect? Check for brood only, before contemplating any 'full' inpections.

 

[AndreaW]

What are you going to inspect? Check for brood only, before contemplating any 'full' inpections.

Sorry I meant full as in actually opening up and looking at the brood frames rather than just the supers. Term was bad
Yes I would only be looking for brood

Okay so will leave them to it for another few weeks which is handy as I am away for a week for half term

Thanks folks, especially for the tips on timings of opening up,

 

[AndreaW]

Opened both my hives up yesterday and found worker brood and larvae in both hives. Very happy as both hives have mated queens. Lots of bees, one a lot happier to be looked at than the other, lol. Lots of stores, well done girls - now start making a bit of honey for me ?