Swarm Colony Check

[DayValleyDahlias]

Just opened the swarm colony hive...lot's of building up drawing out and the like...the capped brood looked like drone size on the foundationless that they drew out...any ideas whats going on there???

[Alan Forbes]

And what's wrong with a few men around?????

[DayValleyDahlias]

LOL Alan...well, um...no...but the smell of after shave is killing me...

[DayValleyDahlias]

Should I remove the drone stuff? :'(

[DennisB]

Could they be just building up the normal drone amounts to allow for fertilization of a new queen if need be. Do you see any cells with just eggs in them (specifically just 1 egg)? The reason I ask, is if you don't have a queen and a worker is laying, you would see a lot of drones and no workers, right?

DennisB

[Kathyp]

it wouldn't hurt the hive to put in a frame of young brood and eggs from another hive.  if they are queenless, you give them a chance to make one and if they are not, you boost numbers until they are settled.  i think i'll do the same with the weaker hive i brought home the other day.

[DayValleyDahlias]

I sent an email to a local apiary asking if I could buy brood...we'll see what happens...should I cut out the drone stuff???

[Kathyp]

i wouldn't cut out the drone stuff.  don't know what that would accomplish.  do you not have a frame from another hive you could give them.  seems a shame to spend money on it.  it would only take one frame to tell you whats going on in there.

do you know if there is a queen in there or any sign of one?

[DayValleyDahlias]

I should have a look see today, the weather hasn't been cooperative at all and rain is on the way...the primary hive should have a virgin/mated queen I hope,I can't look in the bottom brood box until weekend...hopefully weather will improve...

The people I wanted to buy brood from aren't selling me any, they said to just shake those bees out and let them find the primary hive...I really don't know of anyone else around here that would sell me open brood...oh well...kinda stuck aren't I...

This is exactlly why I want ore than one hive...spare parts!  woe is me

[DayValleyDahlias]

Okay I went out there with conviction and calm, smoked 'em good, and found a queen cell, and a swarm cell.  I axed the swarm cell. so I am leaving these guys alone to nature..if they can do it, so be it...there was open and capped brood...and I am questioning my drone comb diagnosis...

When it is created on foundationless,it looks a bit different it seems...it is upto Mother Nature now, they have food and room...and a queen cell.

[Kathyp]

do they think you have a laying worker?  make sure you don't have a queen in there that you shake out  :-).  if the hive looks otherwise well, you might be able to find a queen for them.  it's about that time of the year, i think.

i must have missed something.  this swarm hive is not your only hive- you have another from which you can steal a frame of brood?

just read your post.  you must have a queen if you have open brood? you didn't put brood or eggs in when you hived this swarm?

[DayValleyDahlias]

 Forgive me I am still new at this.

The reason I couldn't take brood from the primary hive ( the one the swarm came out of ) is because I didn't see any in the top brood box, and I couldn't get into the bottom brood box to see, weather was BAAAADDD so windy.  SoI have NO idea IF there is a new queen in that primary (parent hive ).

When I looked into the swarm colony today I did not see any eggs, nor did I see any workers with their butts in the cells.  I did see open brood, and a queen cell which was in the upper part of the frame.

Does that make sense now???

MMMhhh much gracias

[Kathyp]

got it  :-)

[Michael Bush]

>Should I remove the drone stuff?

If you want them to build more...

>I did see open brood, and a queen cell which was in the upper part of the frame.

Single eggs?  Multiple eggs?  A larva in the queen cell?