Update on my first swarm

Started by greenbtree, June 20, 2010, 09:28:22 PM

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greenbtree

Went to check on the first swarm I gathered today.  When I first got them home I had put a frame of brood in with them, because I had found the swarm's queen dying on the ground under it when I collected it.  A week later at a check I gave them another frame because I saw no sign of queen cells or new eggs and larva.  (I admit that I can't see eggs worth diddly squat.)  Today was a week after that and not only was the deep packed full of bees, comb and honey in progress, but there were at least FOUR frames of larva, a lot of it capped.  Either the queen recovered (even though she looked almost dead, I tipped her in with the rest of the swarm anyway) or they had a virgin or other queen with them.  I don't think they have had time to sneakily make another queen, have her fly, and produce capped brood by now. 
Just goes to show you never should jump to conclusions.  Thanks to the folks who have recommended the "when in doubt, add a frame of eggs and larva once a week" plan.  It fixes things if it is broke and doesn't break it if it isn't. 
I put another deep on, these bees are very mild - I didn't have my smoker going right and it turned out in this case that I didn't even need it.  (Not that I am going to start going without.)  It looks like I lucked into some good girls.
"Rise again, rise again - though your heart it be broken, or life about to end.  No matter what you've lost, be it a home, a love, a friend, like the Mary Ellen Carter rise again!"