Was an artifical swarm the way forward?

[BeeFarmer]

Hi folks,

I checked both my hives yesterday and found a sealed queen cell in the first along with lots more charged cells. Knowing that I must have missed something at the last 7 day inspection I quickly did an artifical swarm and touch wood everything appears to be okay.

When I inspected my second hive I found brood in all stages plus a few charged queens cells. Some towards the bottom of the frames and one quite high up, the latter being sealed which it wasn't yesterday when I checked them very late in the afternoon. I decided to do an artifical swarm but now I'm starting to wonder if supercedure was taking place and I've screwed it all up! The bees were all there this morning (not that I counted) but when I started work they all poured out and sat on the front of the hive. I checked for the queen but as per usual its was like finding a needle in a hay stack! I last saw her a few weeks ago but there has always been brood in different states to reassue me. I know that she is less than a year old and that its not unheard of for bees to swarm in their first year which leaves me wondering if I've been and got myself a batch of swarmy bees or if I've really got myself in a pickle!

I'm guessing that only time will tell. I'll leave the hive with the sealled cell for a couple of weeks and see how its getting on after the queen has emerged. As for the remaining hive am I best to simply check for the signs of laying in a weeks time and if I find nothing to introduce a brought queen?

 

[oliver90owner]

You are lucky they had not already swarmed if there were sealed queen cells.

A bit difficult doing an A/S without transferring the queen. Are you really sure you A/Sed?

Being less than a year old has nothing to do with whether they are likely or not to swarm. First season is the usual rule of thumb. This is now her second.

 

[BeeFarmer]

If I can't find the queen I use a method I was taught at an association meet whereby I brush all the bees into the brood body, place the queen excluder on and then the brood frames on top. It doesn't take long until the nurse bees come up leaving the queen below. Removed the top box, field bees return to be with queen and bobs my uncle.

 

[oliver90owner]

That is good -provided she has not gone already. Think here sealed queen cells.

I don't really understand you checking them, finding them requiring A/S and hanging around just waiting for them to swarm. Or are you not a bee farmer?

 

[BeeFarmer]

Or are you not a bee farmer?

Farmer with bees, lol. I found her in the end and remarked her white so she'll be easier for me to spot. Everything appears to be okay so I'll wait and see what happens