I have a swarm that I trapped (3 weeks ago). Never a sign of brood and after 10 days of docile behavior they started to act queenless.
It was a large swarm, with two deeps they were sleeping outside the enterence.
So I have three queens coming tomorrow so I split the hive into three deeps and moved them to a better location with a great amount of commotion and melee. Those are some angry moody girls out there right now.
I was going to introduce the queens as soon as they arrive tomorrow...
or should I wait 'til Weds am (I leave in the afternoon for a couple of days) to introduce the queens to give everything longer to settle down?
Thoughts???
Newb Alert! Hopefully more knowledgeable help will soon arrive, but having had a queenless hive of my own last year, nothing settled them down except for getting a queen. I think the sooner they get acclimating to a new queen, the better. Just my guess, though.
Add the queens asap. They have been without one long enough. Don't manually release her for 4 days or more. They may have a few laying worker pheromones brewing if not started laying yet.
i would get the caged queen in the hive as soon as possible. Do you have some frames of brood to add to the spit hives. One thing i would be concerned about would be splitting when queenless you are close to 25 to 30 days depending on when she is released from having newbees emerge during this time the numbers of the bees in the hives are going to be in decline.
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2 brood size swarm is very good. It can forage surpluss honey and it may make a good brood area.
For later summer you will have a good colony.
If you split the colony, you will not enjoy on harvesting honey.
2 brood size swarm means about 4 kg bees.
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