What would you do?

[sunshinemedic]

Took advantage of a break in the weather to have a full inspection of my strongest hive and as expected I found 15 fairly advanced Queen Cells. Interestingly, where the brood was quite packed last week, there is now loads of laying room, also plenty of space for stores. Almost no drones to be seen (?) but some drone brood. The bees were 'overflowing' and HRH was definately in residence.

I removed all but 1 QC for now and shook a few frames of nurse bees into a weaker hive that needed the reinforcements. I don't really want to AS now as I'm not convinced the new Queen will be properly mated with the current weather forecasts and the general lack of drones this time of year.

I think it might be that the swarm preparations took place at the end of the warm spell and the Queens rate of laying fell when the cold spell hit.

So should I (1) Remove the last QC and check in a few days (weather permitting) to see if they have given up on the idea for now or
(2) Bite the bullet and just do an AS now?

 

[drstitson]

removing cells won't stop the frenzy and likely to make the process accelerate (needing 4-5 day inspections!!!!)

A/S ASAPand if the virgin doesn't mate just unite back towards end of may.

 

[Poly Hive]

When bees are in full swarm mode as it seems yours are then they need to be satisfied that they have achieved their aim, so as the good DR says AS and worry about mating success later.

PH

 

[drstitson]

"AS and worry about mating success later."

Your most important goal is not to lose HM in a prime swarm. Especially with current weather conditions and forecast for next few weeks.

So long as you have her you have options for later increase/requeening. whatever you wish/need to do.

Lose her AND get mating failure and you're up the proverbial.

At least you have a second colony to provide eggs if necessary BUT best to pre-empt problems as far as poss.

 

[andytat]

I the same situation with a twist - drowning queen!

I have returned to bee keeping after a brake of ten years .
Last July I was given a small cast swam at very short notice, I had no comb and had to build up the colony on very old foundation, and heavy feeding in the autumn and fondant in January. It went into the winter with only a brood box.

Spring started early and the hive active was congested by mid March, I didn't inspect but just put on a super of new foundation under the brood box. On April fools day! it was warmer enough to inspect, found six combs of brood, the queen looking busy, bees covering the whole brood box and the super underneath half drawn and starting to be filled with honey - its a grate location for bees with lots of nectar sources. All looking good and a field of winter rape coming into flower on the other side of the hedge.- But about 6 queen cells just starting to be sealed. Totally unprepared to make an AS with no comb or foundation made up, I picked off the queen cells to buy time?

Then the weather tuned and in wasn't till the 11th is was warmer enough to take action (but thunder brewing) - I was getting ready when they swarmed. I collected the swam and even saw the old queen settle in the hedge and running up the sheet when been hived. The swam was very small, not a normal primer swam. I didn't inspect the main have but decided to leave to own devices as a thunder storm had happened after catching the swam - was that a mistake?

After another spell of changeable not very warm weather I went to inspect yesterday to find a cast swam forming in the hedge in two small bundles - 2 Queens?. While I was cutting away twigs from one bundle of bees, the other bundle collapsed in a pool in the stream below (3 inches deep). I shook the first bundle to try and get them to re-form into on swam. Then inspected the pool and found a drowning queen! It look not too good so I picked it up and took in into the house to warm in up by the Aga, left under a glass & it recovered after about 30 minutes.

I caught the swam and assumed in had a second queen in it. Left the boxed swam 20 yards away in an orchard while I got a nuc box ready. The plan to add the revived queen to the swam as the run up the sheet into the nec box - But on returning most swam has flown. - I assume queen-less the returned to the hive?

I the inspected the main hive - lots of bees, ten sealed queen cells, very few drowns, no new eggs and couldn't see a queen. Three queen cells had no wax on their tips of the cells only the pupa case never seen the before - what is happening?

I shut up he hive to let it take its course, worried buy so few drowns and the odd queen cells.

What to do with the now revived queen? I decided to experiment and introduced it back in to the main hive amusing it will either get killed, swam again or mate - their seem little to loose. With rape followed by apple then hawthorn and clover - I am an optimist - the alternative is two months of rain and misery.

The second hive with the prime swam is breading but very small.

The main hive was very active today on the rape between showers, but no new swam.

And suggestion what to do now, or look out for round the next bend of this roller coaster?

 

[enrico]

Blimey mate!!!
I personally think you deserve a medal for dealing with that lot! They are obviously a swarmy type of bees.
I don't see that you could have done more......or less!
Let us know how the queen punch up goes!
E

 

[sunshinemedic]

Well, at least I am not in the same boat as Andy!

AS it is then.. Probably with a family reunion in a few weeks but we'll see. Thanks for the replies

 

[drstitson]

drowning queens

Note that a recognised (albeit old-school) method of queen introduction is to immerse her in water before letting her enter her new home!

NB looking forward to spending some time in the littlest room with Snelgrove swarm control and queen introduction books that i picked up yesterday (have read queen rearing book many times over).

 

[Hebeegeebee]

Swarms sometimes alight into two lumps and then combine a little later if given time. If there is no queen they'll be going back to the hive in 1/2 hour or so.

 

[andytat]

Thank you for the encouraging and useful information.

The bee in the main hive were busy foraging on the rape as 6.30 pm this evening, with the evening sun shining.

I have just gone and listen to the hive and can hear a queen piping and as least two queen cell responding.

Will keep you posted with the next round.

 

[TBRNoTB]

Thank you for the encouraging and useful information.

The bee in the main hive were busy foraging on the rape as 6.30 pm this evening, with the evening sun shining.

I have just gone and listen to the hive and can hear a queen piping and as least two queen cell responding.

Will keep you posted with the next round.

Do you use a stethoscope? I must get my hearing aids tested!

 

[drstitson]

"Do you use a stethoscope? I must get my hearing aids tested"

just locate your hives well away from car alarms. if you hear one it must be from the hive!!!!

 

[andytat]

Books and Stethoscopes

"may your bees read the same books as you do" - All I can say is I hope their ancestors were well traveled as I was reading a Russian book call "Bees" by I Khalifman - based on work a the Lenin Academy of Agricultural Science - English edition 1951 - quite interesting price 7s 6d

Stethoscopes - no didn't use one just ear stuck to the side of the brood box - but do live in a field half a mile form the nearness road.

Queen still piping tonight (Monday) one long pipe followed be 6 short ones a then 39 quacking replays from a least two virgins in their cells