Time for a swarm cell queen to start laying

**gibby937** · 03-24-2012, 03:47 PM

I had a hive to swarm and I did catch the swarm. I feel very certain that I know what hive swarmed due to finding the queen in the swarm and she was marked. That hive had the only marked queen in it. The hive was a double deep hive which I was planning to split anyway. Once going in the hive I noticed several capped swarm cells in both boxes and was still heavy with bees. I went ahead and split the hive after the swarm due to the number of bees and swarm cells. This was three weeks ago today. According to Michael bushes bee math, I should have a laying queen in about 20 days from a capped swarm cell. I realize that this can be an estimate also.
I inspected both hives today, 21 days later, and was able to see the opened swarm cells along with some that was opened from the sides in both boxes. All capped brood had emerged. I did see a queen in both hives. But I did not see eggs. I was planning on looking for eggs in 4 more days. I also am concerned about laying workers starting. I am running low on resources as far as open brood goes from the other hives due to me trying to correct a laying working in a package hive that I have and I added open brood to the swarms that I caught.
So, my question is, should I be worried in 4 days if I do not see eggs. Or is this a bit early to get alarmed. Should I go ahead and do what it takes to add a frame of open brood to the hives to prevent laying workers? Hopefully she just started laying and I was unable to see the eggs. I guess I have one hurdle down by having seen the queens, but now I need them to start laying. Any advice, encouragement, or input is greatly welcome. By the way, this site is awesome! I read on here every day. Thanks! Mr.Bush if you read this, thanks for your site!

**David LaFerney** · 03-24-2012, 03:57 PM

Put a frame of open brood in the hive, and if the swarm queen didn't make it for some reason, they will build queen cells on the brood frame, you will be able to easily see cells in 2 days. If they don't start any cells then you have a queen.

**MDS** · 03-24-2012, 04:46 PM

I agree with David LaFerney on this. Just make sure the frame has some eggs on it also. I had a small hive going into winter and the queen started late for me so I added a feeder and she took off. Suppose they did not have enough forager bees to do it on their own.

**gibby937** · 03-24-2012, 05:57 PM

Would you still go this route even though both queens were spotted in each hive?

**Vance G** · 03-24-2012, 06:25 PM

If you don't have the spare brood or don't want to take it, stay out for a week. If your timing is correct, you should have open or even capped brood by then. If you still don't then you need to a buy queens or give the bees eggs and open brood so they can raise another because the one you saw is no good. Laying workers will not be a problem this quick as a rule.