(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160402/9347878c1eff599292433113b0c95526.jpg)
So it looks like we're thinking to swarm. Lots of capped drone and cups prepared one a few frames. Where do I go from here? I'd like to artificially swarm them into a split (is that called a cutdown split? ) but I'm not sure of the timing. No eggs in the queen cups today, unless I missed one. When should I move the old queen into the nuc?
Pretty sure I see a grub in one of those cells! IMO, time to split now! read idees advice in the recent split question thread.
I see 2 queen cells drawn out. Time to split.
Jim
Just want to say that's one helluva photo - would make a really nice print, inside a frame ...
LJ
Thanks. I went in last night just before dusk, couldn't find the queen. The brood nest is three boxes deep, so it's either a serious project or an act of prayer. There's six or seven queen cups like that on three different frames. So yeah, I gotta find her soon. Durn day job. :) :( I can afford the equipment but can't do the keeping.
Your picture reminds me of one of my hives last weekend. Packed with bees, backfilling the brood nest and there was at least 10-15 queen cups. I couldn't tell if there were eggs in the queen cups yet. I saw the queen so I took the oppurtunity to put her in a nuc. This past weekend I got back into that hive. Still packed with bees and capped brood. There was at least 20-25 capped queen cells. Made up seven more nucs and left a frame with 5-6 queen cells on it in the hive. I also added some empty frames. Hopefully they won't feel the need to swarm anymore. If they do, I at least still have the original queen and several nucs.
Good luck with your hive yes2matt.
Don't feel bad about being "late to the party". The best I can judge the bees around here are at least 3 weeks earlier, maybe 4, compared to last year. My swarms didn't start until about the 3 week in April last year. This year they were swarming the last week in March.
Had this happen in one of my hives here in central Florida, started 2 weeks ago made split, they made more made more splits, now i cannot find the queen in the parent hive. I checked all the frames as I was putting them in the nuks and didn't see her.
once splitting how long do you guys wait to check the queen cups/Cells to see if they hatched and to check that the nuk and parent hive are doing OK?
Sebashtion; Hope this helps;
http://bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm
Caste Hatch Cap Emerge
Queen 3 1/2 days 8 days +-1 16 days +-2 Laying 28 days +-5
Worker 3 1/2 days 9 days +-1 20 days +-1 Foraging 42 days +-7
Drone 3 1/2 days 10 days +-1 24 days +-1 Flying to DCA 38 days +-5
Well that was some good information
Yes I would do a split. A cutdown is a very specific kind of split:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#cutdown
Quote from: GSF on April 05, 2016, 04:09:59 PM
Sebashtion; Hope this helps;
http://bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm
Caste Hatch Cap Emerge
Queen 3 1/2 days 8 days +-1 16 days +-2 Laying 28 days +-5
Worker 3 1/2 days 9 days +-1 20 days +-1 Foraging 42 days +-7
Drone 3 1/2 days 10 days +-1 24 days +-1 Flying to DCA 38 days +-5
so i am reading that correct....... leave them alone for 28 days
You need another week to let her brood to develop enough to prove to the bees that she is a good queen.
Jim
Quote from: sawdstmakr on April 05, 2016, 09:47:24 PM
You need another week to let her brood to develop enough to prove to the bees that she is a good queen.
Jim
thank you
Any time. :happy:
Jim
Quote from: Michael Bush on April 05, 2016, 06:10:10 PM
Yes I would do a split. A cutdown is a very specific kind of split:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beessplits.htm#cutdown
Update:
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160409/eb1571b026d3b9ea284a41aef230240d.jpg)
Pretty sure this is the same frame, different angle.
I went thru the whole hive this am, three 10fr boxes of brood nest. It was a little early and chilly, but sunny. The drones were in. That made it super hard, and I didn't find the queen. Gah, what a project to fail.
So I did the next best (I think) thing, I took three frames which had capped queen cells and put them into a "queen castle " I made, each with another frame of stores and nurses and some brood.
I left several queen cups in the parent hive, two of which I observed being fed by a nurse. It's cool they have to put themselves almost all the way into the cell to get the jelly up to the grub.
I have a swarm trap out along a natural corridor, and will put another in the woods. Maybe instead of honey, this year I'll be getting colonies. Would like some honey though.
You do take some great photographs. What camera, etc., are you using. I try and try to get good pictures and they're always just -- meh.
Quote from: Dallasbeek on April 10, 2016, 12:03:33 AM
You do take some great photographs. What camera, etc., are you using. I try and try to get good pictures and they're always just -- meh.
Thanks. My phone is LG LS740, couple years old. I set it on to camera and put it in my top pocket so it's handy.
It has a Google app called Photos, and you can use it to color-correct and sharpen. I just use the automatic one-click setting.