How often can I check a hive to see if any brood after swarm

[LenR]

Hi all
I had my first hive swarm 4 weeks ago, I am worried I may not have a queen.
I checked the hive on Wednesday again but I struggle to see any brood about, before the swarm I could see heaps of brood quite easy.

Is there anything that would stand out after 4 weeks that will give me an idea if the hive has a queen or not.
I have to a lot of frames with nectar and not a lot with capped honey and can't see any eggs in cells.

Len

[Acebird]

I am a little confused here.  You had a hive that swarmed and you are wondering if there is a queen left 4 weeks later?  Or you caught a swarm and you are wondering if it is queenless?
In the first case you should have had eggs in a week or two.  In the second case you should have had eggs in a few days if it was a primary swarm or a couple of weeks if it was a secondary swarm.
I am afraid to tell you in four weeks the hive is queenless no matter what happened.  This is me now, I would take the honey and dump the hive.

[Andersonhoney]

Lentil your post on October 5, says you moved queen cells up into the top box. At the time of reading that I should of replied.
I'm not sure what your thinking was in that but it's done now. I'm assuming that those cells if capped have chilled as you moved them away from the brood cluster.  If uncapped the again away from the brood and nurse bees therefore not feed and sealed. Have those cells hatched? If not break one open and I'll think you'll find dead larvae/pupae. If they have opened then have a look for virgin queen.
In a conversation with Oldbeavo today we both noted that our queen cells have been slow this year, to hatch, to mate and to start laying.
Do you have any other hives.

[LenR]

OK I will try an explain myself a bit better.
Forget the swarm, that has long gone.
The reason for the topic question is because I thought I may have seen some new capped brood.
I may just have another look in a couple of days and take some pics and post them on here.

says you moved queen cells up into the top box. At the time of reading that I should of replied.
I'm not sure what your thinking was in that but it's done now.

.
The queen Cells I moved were left in the brood box for several days before I moved them and it was well after a couple of them had hatched so time for a maiden queen to hatch.

As for another hive, I do not, that would of made my problem a lot easier.

I am afraid to tell you in four weeks the hive is queenless no matter what happened.  This is me now, I would take the honey and dump the hive.

Thanks for the advice but I will wait awhile longer before I get that drastic, it has been an ordinary Spring here so far, just about rains every other day, or seems like it.

You read so much conflicting information on bee forums and it can get very confusing sometimes for a newbie.

Anyway we never stop learning and I will get the hang of this beekeeping, I don't give up that easy, I am a farmer 

Thanks Ando and Ace

Len

[Andersonhoney]

"You read so much conflicting information on bee forums and it can get very confusing sometimes for a newbie."

It's often the questions that don't aline with the problem. When mentoring newbies often they ask a question and I have to stop them to make them take a few steps back, for its the wrong questions that they are asking. If that makes sense.
Do you have a local beekeeper that can mentor you?

[Acebird]

Thanks for the advice but I will wait awhile longer before I get that drastic, it has been an ordinary Spring here so far, just about rains every other day, or seems like it.

You read so much conflicting information on bee forums and it can get very confusing sometimes for a newbie.

Len, details matter.  I haven't been following your previous posts so I had no idea there were queen cells involved.  I was going by the topic heading.  If the hive was caring for a queen cell it extends the time it would turn into a laying worker hive.  Even at that you are getting to the point of hopelessly queenless if you don't see worker brood soon.

[LenR]

I will check the hive again Monday and see if any eggs or brood about.

I am meant to be picking up another 5 frame nuc sometime next week, i will certainly know what to do next time.


Len

[Andersonhoney]

The bees will teach you. The first step forward in beekeeping is to realize that they are far more intelligent than us.

[LenR]

do you think I have a queen in the hive I was worried about.

http://i350.photobucket.com/albums/q412/lenreading/image_zpsnwbmsbf1.jpeg


Len

[Andersonhoney]

Well done. so what would you change next time, or if you would do anything different what would it be. I don't want to sound condescending but this could have gone either way, and the  outcome didn't have a lot to do with good management.  Which is fine, I make errors too often trying tout manipulate the hives to do what I need them to do not what they need to do. This is a good way to learn, we will be keen to here your theory as these are the sort of errors that can beat us all.

[LenR]

Well the first thing I would do next time is be better prepared.



Len