What would you do?

[MartinL]

went in last week as she is now laying white pen and marking cage poised, found queen - big, black and marked red!

She's doing well for a 3yr old!

Someone will be missing her but it's their loss!

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Hmmff - another massive leap of faith.

Caught a swarm in the Carreg apiary last month, not a massive one, no sign of laying even though there was drawn comb available from the outset soooo......
small swarm, no eggs ipso facto a cast?

went in last week as she is now laying white pen and marking cage poised, found queen - big, black and marked red!

My beginner's answer to that one is that it (old Q, limited commitment of resources from the colony) was a supersedure swarm. What implications that has for you PH I respect the spirit of the thread to let others guess.

 

[Poly Hive]

Recap.

I inspected a small colony yesterday which was a cast some month ago.

Covering some 6 frames, and had a test frame in partly to check on the queen situation, (Q+) and partly to give them a boost.

First frame out had a four day old queen cell on it, next one had the queen with an egg attached to her abdomen, and next one had a capped cell.

What would you do next?

This is not please for established people, it is for beginners.

This is definitely a cast. There was not a laying queen in there as I inspected the wild comb they had built and it was clear of any laying at all.

Remember there was a test frame given. Also there is a young open Qcell with grub.

I will tell you tomorrow what I think is going on but I will be unable to say for sure until the next inspection which will be in 14 days time as the bees are some distance away, 230 miles in fact.

PH

 

[Truble]

I will tell you tomorrow what I think is going on but I will be unable to say for sure until the next inspection which will be in 14 days time as the bees are some distance away, 230 miles in fact.

PH

It would seem you have answered your own question. If your next inspection isn't for another 14 days they will have sorted it all out themselves, one way or another.

 

[Poly Hive]

Not really.


PH

 

[Poly Hive]

Ok so what to do?

The capped Queen cell was dead. Killed no doubt by the Virgin. The open cell is in my thinking down to the new Queen just beginning to lay and so her pheromones are waxing and when they realise she is fully functioning they will tear it down.

Therefore I did nothing as there was nothing I could do to aid them. The next inspection in 17 days or so will show if the queen is laying well and I will review at that point. Hopefully they will get through the winter and take of properly in Spring.

Time will tell.

PH

 

[Motobiman]

Ok so what to do?

The capped Queen cell was dead. Killed no doubt by the Virgin. The open cell is in my thinking down to the new Queen just beginning to lay and so her pheromones are waxing and when they realise she is fully functioning they will tear it down.

Therefore I did nothing as there was nothing I could do to aid them. The next inspection in 17 days or so will show if the queen is laying well and I will review at that point. Hopefully they will get through the winter and take of properly in Spring.

Time will tell.

PH

So do I get a gold star?

 

[Tremyfro]

So do I get a gold star?

You will have to share the gold star!