Hello,
April 28, i created from 1 hive 4 nucs with caped or nearly capped swarm cells ( a half kg of sugar food added ). I plan to check for brood around 20-22 of May. From the day created i never opened those hives.
1. Do you open a few days later to see the status of the queen cells ?
2. What can really go wrong if you open the hives ( just the cover ) ? Do you feed these days until first check?
3. I noticed today that all of them have a few pollen foragers ( really few - nucs are 2-3 frames the best ) . Is pollen foraging a secure indication that queen is ready ?
Thanks
Bees will gather with or without a queen.
If you check now and the new queens have emerged, you may not find them. They could be on their mating flights.
There should be enough flowers out that you don't need to feed.
Good luck with them.
I would wait until the new queens have a chance to mate before you inspect. I usually wait at least three to four weeks.
Scott