Not sure what is going on. . .

DuaneB · May 13, 2018, 07:12:38 PM

Earlier today, I observed a couple of Drone bees taking flight and, seemingly, return. Fast forward 4 hours, now there a a large group of bees flying in from of the entrance and a lot in the are flying around in the air. I don't see any fighting, so I don't thing it robbing. But, I could be wrong. There was a lot of traffic going in/out the 4" entrance.

Any thoughts?

DB

BeeMaster2 · May 13, 2018, 07:45:57 PM

Sounds like new bees orienting. That is a good thing. That means that 3 weeks ago you had a good hatch out.
Jim

iddee · May 13, 2018, 08:56:33 PM

Sounds like Jim got that one right. Enjoy watching you new generation.

DuaneB · May 13, 2018, 09:15:26 PM

That is good to know. Thanks. Just finished going through both brood boxes. Top box is about 60% drawn; bottom box has all but 1 frame drawn. I was concerned that 3 of the original frame, in the bottom box, had beginning swarm cells on the bottom of the frames. One of the swarm cells was a lot farther along than then others. Do I need to begin preparations to split the hive?

Thanks
DB

iddee · May 13, 2018, 09:44:36 PM

I would move an empty frame or two down into the brood area and let them be.

DuaneB · May 13, 2018, 10:31:40 PM

Iddee, the hive has two Deep boxes. the Top box has 6/10 frames drawn. The bottom box has about 1.5 frames the are not drawn. What kind of frames should I move up top? Brood? Honey? 1 each?

Thanks

iddee · May 13, 2018, 10:37:03 PM

Just move the 1.5 "2 frames", into the brood area.
Then in the top box, move the outside drawn frames out one space and empties in their place.

DuaneB · May 13, 2018, 10:52:13 PM

Got it. Will do that tomorrow. Thanks

DuaneB · May 14, 2018, 09:28:44 AM

What should I do about the swarm cells on the bottom of those frames? Scrape them off, let them be, or something different?

Thanks

iddee · May 14, 2018, 09:56:57 AM

Leave them.

BeeMaster2 · May 14, 2018, 01:26:20 PM

Like Iddee said, leave them.
Removing queen cells could spell death to a hive. If the bees have already swarmed and there are no larvae less than 6 days old left, the bees cannot make a new queen. If they did swarm, you could have a new queen laying within 2 weeks. If you remove the q cells and there are young larvae you are talking about waiting a month before you have a laying queen.
There is a good chance that all you are seeing are queen cups, queen cells with no larvae/eggs in them. Bees build them all the time and have them ready for when they are ready to swarm.
Jim

DuaneB · May 14, 2018, 08:07:52 PM

As far as I can tell, they haven't swarmed yet. Between the two deep boxes, they are about 70% full.

There are about 6 swarm cells, on the bottom of 3 frames, that have larva in them. The rest don't. One is not too far from being capped.in the

So by moving some empty frames in the middle of the brood, in both boxes, they won't swarm? Interesting.

moebees · May 14, 2018, 08:15:26 PM

Quote from: DuaneB on May 14, 2018, 08:07:52 PM
As far as I can tell, they haven't swarmed yet. Between the two deep boxes, they are about 70% full.

There are about 6 swarm cells, on the bottom of 3 frames, that have larva in them. The rest don't. One is not too far from being capped.in the

So by moving some empty frames in the middle of the brood, in both boxes, they won't swarm? Interesting.

If there are multiple cells on the bottom of frames they are going to swarm. Like I said above. Split them posthaste.

sc-bee · May 15, 2018, 05:43:28 AM

Quote from: iddee on May 14, 2018, 09:56:57 AM
Leave them.

If you see eggs and open brood in the hive and the cells are not capped, why would you leave them? I understand you are thinking a newbee that can not recognize queen present. But yes sounds like if you leave the cells they will swarm.

I understand not cutting cells but sometimes:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3QlLUcT2SQ&t=281s

iddee · May 15, 2018, 06:36:48 AM

Cutting cells will not stop a swarm. If they are going to swarm, they are going, period. Cutting cells will only insure a dead hive. Either wait and hope they don't, or that you catch the swarm, or remove the queen and make a nuc. IE: An artificial swarm. Either way, you don't remove the cells.

cao · May 15, 2018, 09:17:11 AM

Whenever I find queen cells and I can find the queen, I remove her and a frame or two of bees and put them in a nuc. If I can't find the queen and there are queen cells on seperate frames, I'll remove a frame with the queeen cell and put it in a nuc. In either case, if things don't work out, I can combine them later. If the queen cells hatch and the queen gets mated, I have the start of a new hive.

I have yet to find any reason to destroy any queen cells. IMO they are there for a reason and I try to take advantage of them.

iddee · May 15, 2018, 09:29:53 AM

""I have yet to find any reason to destroy any queen cells. IMO they are there for a reason and I try to take advantage of them.""

AMEN, 10-4, and pass the biscuits, please.

sc-bee · May 15, 2018, 10:57:02 PM

Quote from: iddee on May 15, 2018, 06:36:48 AM
Cutting cells will not stop a swarm. If they are going to swarm, they are going, period. Cutting cells will only insure a dead hive. Either wait and hope they don't, or that you catch the swarm, or remove the queen and make a nuc. IE: An artificial swarm. Either way, you don't remove the cells.

I usually don't remove cells but had run across the Palmer vidieo. I also admit I mis- read and thought I saw mention of eggs in the hive still