What did you do in the Apiary today?

[madasafish]

Collected a swarm (not mine ) from a Japonica bush - approx 50cms off ground. Easiest collection I have ever done.

Nice sunny dry day. Bees flying in thousands..

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not sure what that is, could you explain

The last thing you want to be doing is putting a new queen into a colony that already has one. Many suppliers say they are sure that quite a few of their queens go to certain death.
So you put in a frame from one of your other hives that has eggs and young larvae on it. If the colony has no queen they will try to raise one and you will see queen cells. If they do have a queen they will simply feed the larvae and cap the cells.
As others have said. Four weeks is still time. I would be investigating at six.

 

[E&MBees]

Collected a swarm from my apiary landlady’s garden. Not the easiest as it was in a tree, but got them down eventually. Fairly certain they are not mine as I did a split a while ago having found charged qc’s. Queen was moved to a nuc, and the qc’s reduced to one. Need to check my existing colonies, but have a severe weather warning until weekend so will have to wait until Saturday.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Nice day today so popped over to check the Garn Cottage and Llety'r wennol bees. hives that were piling in the nectar a few weeks ago and looking at a third super in some cases running on fumes - popped a frame of stores into some and marked the others for feeding at the next visit.
Picked up another wheelbarrow carcass to make yet another bee barrow.

 

[LeaBees]

Got round colonies today between hail, rain and thunderstorms!
New 2021 nuc needed feeding, looks like queen has slowed laying..
AS colony that was thought 1st queenless, shaken out and then recollected - queen laying a lovely pattern of eggs. Colony still small though so couple of frames of emerging brood donated (at least I hope they will emerge soon).
Recently collected swarm transferred to full hive. Going great guns.
Gone from 1 hive to 4 this first full season and loving it.

 

[Nannysbees]

Transfer a frame of eggs/very-young larvae into the hive. If it’s truly queenless they will begin to draw emergency cells.

Unfortunately the only other hive we could do this has chalkbrood at the moment

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Unfortunately the only other hive we could do this has chalkbrood at the moment

If there's eggs and larvae there, never mind - use it.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Collected a swarm from my apiary landlady’s garden. Not the easiest as it was in a tree, but got them down eventually. Fairly certain they are not mine as I did a split a while ago having found charged qc’s. Queen was moved to a nuc, and the qc’s reduced to one. Need to check my existing colonies, but have a severe weather warning until weekend so will have to wait until Saturday.

Did you go back a week after you reduced the queen cells to one ? They would certainly make more.

 

[The Poot]

Checked three today, one totally out of food, the other two almost out. Fed all three as poor weather continues until early next week and lots of capped brood to emerge soon.

 

[holmbee]

Checked two hives with demaree boards. One had almost no nectar in the single super but some on the brood frames. There was a single QC in the LBB and Q still in residence. Destroyed the QC as did not wish to breed from her - I have other plans. The other hive had a full super and a half filled second one - just as they were ten days ago. Several QCs in the UBB on frames that were recently rolled up from the LBB. How odd the two hives were so different in storage of nectar although sited within a couple of meters of each other. Little by way of eggs and US brood - must be the weather.

 

[E&MBees]

Did you go back a week after you reduced the queen cells to one ? They would certainly make more.

Yes. There was nothing of an appropriate age left for them to make more from.

 

[Antipodes]

Inspected a client's 14x12 colonies today to find that they are running on vapour. Fed some fondant but we really need a spell of warm weather!
Arrived at one of my apiaries to find 2 swarms, collected from the brambles and popped them into two nucs. Took them to my main apiary and popped a frame of eggs in each to make sure they stay put!
Inspected a third apiary to find one hive with many sealed cells. (I've not been able to inspect some hives during the inclement weather) As I removed the cell 5 virgins emerged so I put one back and put the others in queen cages with attendants and fondant.
What is the best way to keep these as the hive is well behaved and I would like to use these over the next few days.

Room temperature is good (around 20 degrees)...in the dark works too. A dab or two of water as well...they'll lap that up. They'll keep for a few days no problem.

 

[elainemary]

Spotted my first virgin queen of the season in hive that was superseding its queen. Has been couple of weeks since last inspection and old queen was still there (I remarked her) and popping out a few eggs at a time. Cell had just been at the point of sealing then, so reckon she’s just about ready for mating.

Another sealed cell however, in the hive which I took down, no sign of original queen and only small amounts of sealed brood, no eggs or larva. Surprised to see the sealed cell which could mean one of 2 things - they don’t like the virgin & think they can make a better one, or they don’t read the books! These say supersedure cells are same age on same comb and laid same time. Any other thoughts why this would happen? Def not swarm cells. Will leave them now for a couple more weeks, weather improving from mid next week, hopefully warm enough for mating (tops 17C).

 

[North End Bees]

Another sealed cell however, in the hive which I took down, no sign of original queen and only small amounts of sealed brood, no eggs or larva. Surprised to see the sealed cell which could mean one of 2 things - they don’t like the virgin & think they can make a better one, or they don’t read the books! These say supersedure cells are same age on same comb and laid same time. Any other thoughts why this would happen? Def not swarm cells.

Still possibility these were swarm cells though? If not enough suitable young available at the time to make more numerous QCs.
Some colonies make only a few anyway, (compared to others which can make 40+ in short order!)

Possibly the Q has actually swarmed leaving the 2 sealed cells rather than popped her clogs?

 

[drex]

You never know with bees. I have had swarms on just two cells.

 

[Arfermo]

Don't go rushing to buy a queen, four weeks is nothing.

And don't waste money on so-called Buckfasts as their progeny will eventually mongrelise. And local mogrelisation is better anyway.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Spotted my first virgin queen of the season in hive that was superseding its queen. Has been couple of weeks since last inspection and old queen was still there (I remarked her) and popping out a few eggs at a time. Cell had just been at the point of sealing then, so reckon she’s just about ready for mating.

Another sealed cell however, in the hive which I took down, no sign of original queen and only small amounts of sealed brood, no eggs or larva. Surprised to see the sealed cell which could mean one of 2 things - they don’t like the virgin & think they can make a better one, or they don’t read the books! These say supersedure cells are same age on same comb and laid same time. Any other thoughts why this would happen? Def not swarm cells. Will leave them now for a couple more weeks, weather improving from mid next week, hopefully warm enough for mating (tops 17C).

They've swarmed

 

[Arfermo]

So I scooped her up in my queen catcher, took the hive apart again and popped her back into the middle of the brood box - making sure she had disappeared before reassembling everything. Just hope she’s undamaged....View attachment 26141

If she was as free as the image shows you would have been able to gently pick up without any queen catcher that might damage her as they are usually very reluctant indeed to sting unless mishandled.

 

[North End Bees]

If she was as free as the image shows you would have been able to gently pick up without any queen catcher that might damage her.

And running her in at the entrance is a lot easier than disassembling the whole hive again

 

[Erichalfbee]

And don't waste money on so-called Buckfasts as their progeny will eventually mongrelise. And local mogrelisation is better anyway.

There are Buckfast and Buckfast. It depends where you get them