Joined
·
523 Posts
Watched a swarm emerge from a hive today, and migrate to a fence post about 25 yards away. A half hour later it returned to the hive. That hive is just jam packed with bees - I let it get away from me, I'll admit.
Anyone seen this before and what might be happening? There's at least one new virgin queen in the hive, as I found one empty queen cell, and a number of other beautiful ripe cells. Could the old queen not have made it out?
I destroyed all but a few of the queen cells and put those few with one full box of bees above a split screen, for what that may be worth at this late time.
I'm inclined to just see what happens in a week or two. Hopefully I'll have a spare queen just in case she's needed. I hope I've headed off afterswarms; expecting the main swarm to go back out tomorrow (unless their return indicates some problem with the old queen.)
This hive is just gangbusters. I couldn't even keep up with them, even though the stack is six mediums tall. The queen - maybe too productive.
Anyone seen this before and what might be happening? There's at least one new virgin queen in the hive, as I found one empty queen cell, and a number of other beautiful ripe cells. Could the old queen not have made it out?
I destroyed all but a few of the queen cells and put those few with one full box of bees above a split screen, for what that may be worth at this late time.
I'm inclined to just see what happens in a week or two. Hopefully I'll have a spare queen just in case she's needed. I hope I've headed off afterswarms; expecting the main swarm to go back out tomorrow (unless their return indicates some problem with the old queen.)
This hive is just gangbusters. I couldn't even keep up with them, even though the stack is six mediums tall. The queen - maybe too productive.