The biggest hive of my three splits may have a queen less roar. The problem is, this is new to me. The two hives beside it are smaller but you don't hear anything from them unless you thump the box. I also saw a new queen in each of the two smaller ones but not one in the biggest. These are the products of the hive I split on March the 2nd because of all the swarm cells. However, I saw them fanning again yesterday. And that's the best way to describe what it is I'm hearing. It sounds like they are all inside fanning.
So if it is queen less would a newspaper combine be in order? Or could I wait a couple more weeks and try to move a frame of eggs over to it? would I (they) have enough time? I'm concerned that the combine could go wrong and the new bees would kill the queen. I'm also worried about laying workers before much longer.
New daddy worries. First day above 60 and sunny, go in and look for eggs and open brood. There is plenty of time. Don't jump to conclusions because of a sound.
Thanks iddee. I was in it last Friday, no nothing. I ordered me some jeweler's visors with magnification and LED lights. Maybe that will help me see the eggs.
I know this sounds stupid, but since I couldn't find the marked queen (first year this coming Jun) could they have swarmed? and wouldn't there be a noticeable difference in the population?
The markings on the queen don't always last. Be sure to keep the sun to your back and the light shining down into the cells when looking for eggs.
If you moved the queen cells to the nucs rather than moving the queen, it is highly likely they swarmed. They had already made preps to swarm and about the only way to stop them is to remove the queen. I seldom see a noticeable reduction in numbers when a hive swarms.
If she swarmed I was one step behind her. When I couldn't find her and saw all those swarm cells I did the split. I've got one hive trap left to check also a hollow tree and a squirrel box. It just didn't seem like the right time for them to swarm (like I'd know). No flow (I was feeding) and off and on pretty chilly.
If your unsure if you have a queen in that hive you can add a frame of young brood and check back 24-48hrs later to see if they started cells. That time period right before a queen starts laying can often times be stressful. Adding young larva can sometimes easy your mind and help you figure out what is going on.
I would give it 1 week after you see larva in the other 2 nucs. If they swarmed, she should be laying within a week of the other 2 that came from the cells. If no eggs, I would think queenless and act accordingly.
I finally got me a jeweler's visor with light yesterday in the mail. Sunday it's supposed to be in the 70s so I plan to check them out again. If I find eggs in the other two and none in that one I'll move a frame over. Saw drones coming in and out yesterday as well as pollen in all three. Thanks all, I'll keep yall posted. I hope to be finished with my remodeling job by this weekend. I am so sick if it - it ain't funny. DIY'r. Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time outside and fooling with the bees.