Two weeks ago I collected 3 swarms with some help from my neighbors yard. One swarm one day two three days later. We did suspect it was my hive swarming. We actually spotted several queens in one of the swarms. On the second attempt we combined the two swarms.
So Today I had the time to take a deep dive. Firstly my flow frames are packed making it difficult to move. So I removed three frames. to make lifting easier. I add that the second brood box was only placed on about a month before the swarming. The appears to have plenty of bees still. However as I dug down I found no sign of a queen. I found 6 or so empty queen cells. lots of brood comb and nectar and pollen cells.
I attached some pics. This was my first ever full deep dive. It was very interesting. I did note that after having seen beetle and wax moth on the bottom board in the past I was relieved that there was no evidence on any comb
Hi Andrew, did you see any evidence of eggs on the brood frames? This will tell you that you have a laying queen present. On the brood comb in the picture above there is an uncapped queen cell, was there a larva or any royal jelly (white milky substance) inside the cell? This is one of the indicators that your hive will or has swarmed. Any other queen cells? capped or uncapped.
There appears to be an issue with one of your Flow frames in the top photo, cells may not be aligned. Better check it out.
I was concerned when I saw that frame. Ill Pull it and check it out. That Queen cell is empty. That peice of comb came away. I did put in the roof in so the bees can get the stores. I saw no larva in any cell. That’s what has me concerned. Al the Queen Cells I saw were uncapped.
And what about the other brood frames? Any larva, eggs, capped brood on those frames?
Nothing hence my concern. I did
have a look back at the photos I took and I thought it could be larvae. On one
frame. Then again it could just be the light.
Andrew
So you also have a couple of swarms which from what you are saying are “combined” is that right? If so, do you have a viable queen or two in this lot of bees? From my humble opinion, you need to either get a viable queen into that hive i.e. combine the swarm with them. OR add a frame of eggs to the queenless hive so the bees can create a new queen for themselves, though I am not sure you have a frame of eggs.
I sent the swarms away. So it looks like I have no queen. At the moment. Unless a new one is created. Or should I buy a new queen.
First make sure you have no queen. If you do the bees will kill any new one you try to introduce. Can you put a test frame in?
If they ignore it then you probably have a queen of sorts
Well the hive seems to be humming along now. I’ve not seen a queen. However I have a lot of brace comb making inspections difficult. There are filling out the second brood box so I’m sure all is good.