2 week old captured swarm with no eggs

D Coates · April 30, 2012, 11:16:24 AM

I caught a swarm 2 weeks ago. When I got there about 4 cups of dead bees about 2 foot away from the swarm. Thinking pesticide I picked up a handful and smelled. No chemical smell, they were just wet and dead. The homowner said he'd sprayed them with water the night before he called me not knowing what they were. Crud, I forgot to ask about that... Nonetheless, I had a frame of eggs and wet brood in there to anchor the swarm. By coincidence if the queen was killed they'd let me know by making queen cells out of some of the larva. Even with all of the dead bees the hive was large and acting like there was a queen.

Fast forward 2 weeks, I checked the 5-frame nuc yesterday and they appeared (sound and actions) that they have a queen in there but there are no eggs. All the wet larva are now capped and there are no queen cells (fresh or torn down). I stole a frame of eggs from another swarm that's going gangbusters to give them something to do in case the queen is gone or hasn't started laying yet.

If the queen from this swarm was a virgin shouldn't she be laying by now?

FRAMEshift · April 30, 2012, 03:09:27 PM

I have waited more than 2 weeks to get eggs from a virgin queen. This would especially be true if you have had cold, wet weather that would keep her from making a mating flight.

Jim134 · April 30, 2012, 03:21:21 PM

Quote from: D Coates on April 30, 2012, 11:16:24 AM
If the queen from this swarm was a virgin shouldn't she be laying by now?

It will take about 3-4 weeks if you got a virgin queen in the swarm.

BEE HAPPY Jim 134 :)

RandyMM · April 30, 2012, 03:23:05 PM

It may be taking time for her to get mated? If she is there? Giving them frames of eggs won't hurt, if you have the extra frames. But it sounds like she's a virgin queen who hasn't mated yet? Let us know how it works out. -Randy

D Coates · April 30, 2012, 04:03:31 PM

Thanks for the responses. Considering how warm it's been prior, things have gotten cooler and the weather has been relatively windy and now wet. I figured she's in there from their disposition and the fact there were no ES cells made I looked over the frames quickly but did not see her. I hadn't had a swarm take this long before that did have a queen so I was second guessing myself. I'll check her again this weekend. Hopfully there will be ES cells on the brood and egg frame I just put in there or there will be fresh eggs.

Kathyp · April 30, 2012, 05:51:09 PM

have you been feeding them? i think the queen is sometimes slowed by lack of resources. i have had virgins mate and start laying in a week, and have had them take over 2. also have lost them to swallows :-(. give them another week and some food.

D Coates · April 30, 2012, 06:08:02 PM

I did feed them a quart but stopped after that. They took it slowly so I figured there was enough elsewhere that made the syrup less that appealing. When I inspected them they had a good amount of uncapped "honey" in there.