Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: dealhound on May 15, 2009, 04:22:39 PM

Title: Swarm and now what?
Post by: dealhound on May 15, 2009, 04:22:39 PM
I have a three year old hive that was very strong going into  the spring.  Problem, they swarmed not once, but twice this week.  I saw them both.  Anyhow, I now of course expected to have a much weakened hive but a new queen.  Did inspection today and found the deeps to have 80 % honey, mostly uncapped.  A few scattered capped brood, no eggs and no uncapped brood.  The supers above the excluders were empty.  Hive appears very busy making honey.  Several queen cells that were empty.  No queen seen, but I usually miss them.  What to do.  Add new queen, wait out the current situation in hopes that they have a queen freshly bred but not laying, or add a frame from another hive with eggs?

Thanks

Tim
Title: Re: Swarm and now what?
Post by: Keith13 on May 15, 2009, 04:32:50 PM
Tim I had the same thing occour. From what I understand from the forums you have a queen that has hatched but not begun to lay. It may take a few weeks to see eggs.

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,21671.0.html

Read a little here it has some good advice

Keith
Title: Re: Swarm and now what?
Post by: asprince on May 15, 2009, 04:44:54 PM
You probably have a young virgin queen. It may take a a week or two before she starts laying. It would not hurt to add some eggs and brood from another hive if you have it.  If they are queenrite, they will do nothing but tend the brood. If they are queenless, you will soon see queen cells.

Bee patient, Steve
Title: Re: Swarm and now what?
Post by: dealhound on May 16, 2009, 12:17:45 AM
Thanks for the help and the link.  It was just the information I was looking for.  I guess I won't sweat it for now!

Tim