What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Nannysbees]

then they swarmed

So just leave well alone and leave the two queen cells to emerge?

 

[Curly green finger's]

It’s not to do with dates though. Colonies are booming, queens laying well and most places have a flow of sorts. Not a time for them to be superseding.

Aye and yet I’ve had colony’s supersede up on the heather

 

[Erichalfbee]

So just leave well alone and leave the two queen cells to emerge?

Yes but if there were small larvae in there I would have another look for QCs in 3/4 days

https://wbka.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/wbka-booklet-english-PDF.pdf
Page 15

 

[The Poot]

So just leave well alone and leave the two queen cells to emerge?

As Dani says, check to see if more cells are raised from young larvae. I was in your position early May, needed to be away for a week, so unable to do the check, only to return to a second swarm and multiple capped queen cells.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Going to check through colony’s today that I nuced queens from last week looks like I’ll be knocking EQCs a lot today .
Oh I like to get back in there no later than a week preferably 5 days.
I set up two new starters and I’m grafting today also on site sat in a Landy .
Frames to build minis to feed fondant and kieler and apideas to set up with white comb instead of starters the reason being is it will give them a head start with not having to build comb from starter strips.
Have a good day!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I don’t think I’ve had any colony’s supersed in may/June time to date

It’s not to do with dates though. Colonies are booming, queens laying well and most places have a flow of sorts. Not a time for them to be superseding.

I have two on the go at the moment

 

[Nannysbees]

OK.......... so the plan, a bit of an experiment!!!!! Have bought two new queens have taken down the queen cells all bar one which we have put in another hive with brood, resource and bees. I've watched Lawrence's video on doing this, not recommended on the same apiary but we don't have the option of moving them 3 miles, so it'll be interesting to see if it works.

 

[Nannysbees]

I have two on the go at the moment

Thank you

 

[Do224]

@Erichalfbee Did they just re-occupy the box as it was left by the previous colony in your tree or did you bait it to attract a swarm?

 

[Erichalfbee]

@Erichalfbee Did they just re-occupy the box as it was left by the previous colony in your tree or did you bait it to attract a swarm?

It’s a closed box. About twice the volume of a 14x12. Marine ply PIR sandwich. Can’t open it.
Fewer bees there today and in reflection looking at their behaviour they are scouts.
Here’s a pic of a swarm from another year

 

[W0otz]

Checked on a newspaper unite done a week ago. Nice (but fairly small) Q+ colony below, spicy colony (hopelessly Q-) above.
No sign of the queen in the lower box, plenty of emergency cells. I feared this would happen due to the difference in colony sizes and the temperament of the top box. I've left one qcell and will check back in a few weeks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It happens. I like to have the smaller colony on top with preferably a super between. I feel the queen is safer up there. You can even cage her to be doubly sure

 

[Cuckmere couple]

moved a double nuc into a hive....pagden'd a strong colony showing swarm signs to use OSR to draw comb...meant another upper box on another nuc with all the BIAS so that now needs a hive

all pretty mad and a good few need more supers and need time to make up undrawn supers to use OSR to draw

all a bit crazy

oh and thinned 3 hives down to 1 QC for requeening (stupidly having done this after 5 days and now needed to do it again)

 

[Curly green finger's]

moved a double nuc into a hive....pagden'd a strong colony showing swarm signs to use OSR to draw comb...meant another upper box on another nuc with all the BIAS so that now needs a hive

all pretty mad and a good few need more supers and need time to make up undrawn supers to use OSR to draw

all a bit crazy

oh and thinned 3 hives down to 1 QC for requeening (stupidly having done this after 5 days and now needed to do it again)

To the last bit not stupid some times you miss one or they build cells from older larvae , crazy a bit here also

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Home apiary today.
Properly hived a random swarm that arrived at the apiary a few days ago and moved into a stack of empty deeps with a few frames in awaiting the next sort out/bonfire
All hives doing well and I've almost marked all of last year's supersedure queens.
Heady smell of hawthorn blossom out in the valley
Heady smell of hawthorn honey in all the hives with all of them needing more supers.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

To the last bit not stupid some times you miss one or they build cells from older larvae , crazy a bit here also

yup

so did 5 and 8 days...should be ok now

and found one scrub QC in he lower bb (which id previously moved all eggs and larvae from so i didnt have to go downstairs...cheeky buggers

 

[Erichalfbee]

oh and thinned 3 hives down to 1 QC for requeening (stupidly having done this after 5 days and now needed to do it again)

Yes I’ve done that too. If you’re leaving an open QC a week is good. QCs made with older larvae are still 10 days from emerging.

 

[gregior]

Inspected 12 of mine today all doing good with queens laying well , plenty of Hawthorn and sycamore nectar coming in too. The colonies that haven't been split so far showed no signs of swarming either which was a pleasant surprise.

The 1 disappointment was my failure to deploy;

 

[Swarm]

Reduced cells in one, split three queens into nucs, another three colonies showing no signs. Tremendous Hawthorn flow, the air was thick with the scent and the combs are filling with pollen and nectar, I need to get back out with more supers.
Interestingly, spotted six queens today and all on the second frame from left.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I can’t keep up with the hawthorn here. Top broods in demarees are full of it. Plus supers on top. Spotted bramble buds too so there won’t be much of a gap.