When to inspect after a swarm.

[Russell]

Hello Folks,

My bees came through the winter in brilliant shape. I had a huge colony with a fair amount of honey already stored.

Last year, my first in Beekeeping, I made mistake after mistake, all for the right reasons, but wrong all the same. To cut a long story short my bees suffered because of my management last year and I have made a decision to just let them 'get on with it', more or less, with minimal intervention.

They swarmed on Wednesday. The old queen was in her second or third year and I am assuming it was her who left the hive. I figured it time she was replaced anyway. When should I inspect the hive to see that hey have a laying queen and all is ok? My bees became very aggressive last year, but have calmed down again.

 

[oliver90owner]

3 weeks. Answers the question as it stands. I don't know your location or circumstances but that would not be what I would do - for various good reasons.

RAB

 

[VEG]

You may want to have a look at how many swarm cells they have made as they could continue to swarm.

 

[Finman]

.
In swarming case it is better to look at least every week.
When you have so old queen you may make a 1 frame mating nuc and pv there a queen cell. Then replace the old queen when virgin is laying.

 

[Roy S]

Have you got a mentor?....gather not...you really do need to get through them and try to see whats going on.

 

[Finman]

try to see whats going on.

yes, this is the key to beekeeping.
You need to learn bees' natural desires to make things.

feeding feeding and you learn nothing.

 

[rae]

We went with the "artificial swarm and leave for 3 weeks", and we moved the hives twice to deplete the flying bees in the "old" colonies. To no avail - both halves of the old colony swarmed last week. We got two of the swarms (a 7 frame prime and a 3 frame cast tiddler), we think one got away.

So I'm now in the camp of keeping checking them. There is the small chance of disturbing a returning "virgin no more", but that is better than losing bees in a swarm.

 

[Finman]

.
3 weeks peace time is something magic.
I look when ever.
3 week time is too long in case that the queen has vanished.

 

[oliver90owner]

Finman,

He said:last year and I have made a decision to just let them 'get on with it', more or less, with minimal intervention. and When should I inspect the hive to see that hey have a laying queen.

One week for the queen to emerge, one week to mature, one week to start into lay. It may well be longer than that.

I agree, not beekeeping. I would be checking the number of queen cells, or nearly all the bees may have vanished with casts. What surprises me is that he has learned very little from his mistakes of last year. Like I said, not a beekeeper. A keeper of bees, maybe. Subtle difference.

Regards, RAB