Chickens all want to stay in the doorway!

[hilda-and-evadne]

This is the hive populated with a nucleus swarm, which almost immediately (three days later) swarmed. I collected the swarm and put it back and placed a queen excluder under the brood box to prevent another swarm. It is only just over a week since I removed the queen excluder. Lots of bees, pollen, honey and capped honey but no brood. I couldn't see any eggs either but I do find it hard to seee them when they are there.

 

Does no brood mean

 

(a) queen not there

(b) queen there but not yet mated

© queen there, mated but not yet incubated the result of the mating?

 

Is there an incubation period between the queen being mated and starting to lay? When do I start to think about re-queening?

 

Sorry, so many questions. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

[StephenW]

Hi there,

 

What do you mean sorry by a "nucleus swarm"? Did you buy it as a five frame nuc or something?

 

Did you not see queen cells prior to them swarming? The queen excluder unfortunately wont stop them swarming as the queen will slim down prior to swarming.

 

Thanks

 

Steve

[hilda-and-evadne]

What do you mean sorry by a "nucleus swarm"? Did you buy it as a five frame nuc or something?

 

I put a newly-hatched queen (from an emergency cell) from my first hive into the second hive with frames of brood and honey. She led a swarm out three days later but only to hang on the underside of the first hive. I collected them and put them back in the second hive, this time with the queen excluder under the brood box and destroyed the swarm cells I found. I don't know if they have since then swarmed again.

 

Did you not see queen cells prior to them swarming?

 

Elsewhere I have described how I witnessed the prime swarm from my first hive - which went only as far as my neighbour's tree but too high up to collect - and after that I destroyed something like 38 swarm cells and all but two emergency cells.

[Olly]

How was their temperament - did they seem calm? Pollen is usually a good sign, e.g. that they are storing it to feed brood, but it's not infallible.

 

It could take a few days for the queen to mate, especially if there was any bad weather during that time, and two or three days after mating to start laying, so it's possibly just on the cusp of that time. Like you, I struggle to see eggs and usually rely on seeing brood. I would give it a few days longer.

[hilda-and-evadne]

How was their temperament - did they seem calm?

 

They are pretty calm. I can inspect the hive without smoke, if I don't shake them off the frames. I wouldn't try inspecting the hive without wearing a bee-suit but that's mainly because I wouldn't be able to focus if I was worrying about bees getting into my hair or up my short sleeves.

 

I would give it a few days longer.

 

That's what I am doing. I went on the web to look for other signs of hives being queen-right or not. One site described the "queenless roar", and I am sure that that hive is not roaring at all. Will inspect again tomorrow, until it is raining.

[Old Speckled Hen]

Test frame and a look in three days later?

If there are no queen cells being made you can whip the frame out and return it to the donor and presume you have a queen of sorts.

If QCs are being made go back again six days after introducing the frame and whip out all but one.

Best of luck

[hilda-and-evadne]

Inspected second hive today to look for brood. Really wasn't expecting to see any so for about two seconds I couldn't believe my eyes. It looks as if the new queen (nucleus swarm) started laying about a week ago - larva and capped brood visible in the middle of a couple of frames, a bit patchy - but not exactly prolifically! When queens start laying, do they start slowly? Or do I have a weak queen?

 

Lots of stores in the hive.