[Jeff G]

Got a swarm on Monday and checked tonight and there is a lot of drawn comb but there are no eggs. Is the queen gone or will it take a little longer?

This was a big swarm and there are bees and drawn comb on all 10 deep frames. They are rappidly moving about very much the oposite of the new Carniolans I just installed next to them. They drank a full gallon of syrup.

 

[peacekeeperapiaries]

look very close those eggs are hard to see in that new white comb. Sometimes it takes them a few day to get rolling, Id check back again in a few days. With that much comb already drawn I would expect her to have started or crank up real soon.

 

[Jeff G]

I'll check again this weekend. I am on black foundation and the eggs show up great against the black.

 

[Hambone]

Rule of thumb is 10ish days. It's more like 7-10 though. I do wait at least 7 days before I open them up. I will watch the entrance to see if they are bringing in pollen and beeing happy.

I always put some 1:1 one them too. Give them a good kick start.

 

[dkvello]

I agree with Hambone, I installed a swarm on 10 Apr, saw no sign of eggs 7 days later, checked again on the 14th day and had capped brood. Going great guns now, added a second deep last week and they have been thru 5 gallons of 1:1 in just a little over a month.

 

[Jeff G]

Thanks, I'll be a little more patient and give them some more time. I was just compairing them to my package bees and she was out laying in the first day or so.

 

[BEES4U]

A prime swarm which contains the over wintered and mated queen will lay eggs much faster than a swarm with a virgin queen.
Ernie

 

[Jeff G]

This swarm came form a hive that was about 5 feet tall and overwintered that way. I have read that the old queen goes with the swarm. Is that a hard and fast rule? or do young queens go to?

 

[Beethinking]

I catch swarms in min-top bar hives so that I can transfer them to my own top bar hives or to those of my customers. I often see prime swarms build a comb and the queen fill it with eggs overnight. Like the others have said, cast/secondary swarms can take significantly longer.

Cheers,
Matt

 

[G3farms]

When the old queen swarms out she has slimmed down so she can fly better, I would give her a week and then look for eggs. On the contrary I have seen swarm queens lay eggs in comb that was only half drawn out also, she was really pushing the girls to get busy.

G3