When to check on a AS Polynucs and orig hive. ?

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Joined
Sep 27, 2012
Messages
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Location
Dublin ( South )
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
40 Plus
Hi

Split hive Friday last, result

Old brood national with sealed QC

3 Polynucs with Sealed QC's

Weather been bad since really, even today very gusty / windy so assume ?? will not have had a chance to emerge and go on mating flights.

When assuming we get good weather as forecast this week should I be opening to see if mating has taken place, been succesfull and queen has commenced laying ?

Thanks.
 
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What was the problem?

According forecast there will be no mating flight weathers in Dublin.

Today it seems to be clowdy, 14C an strong wind in Dublin.

I have here in South East Finland 22C and apple trees have started to bloom. Lilacs too.
 
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.
What was the problem?

According forecast there will be no laying flight weathers in Dublin.

Today it seems to be clowdy, 14C an strong wind in Dublin.

I have here in South East Finland 22C and apple trees have started to bloom. Lilacs too.

Thanks but, as original post wondering when, given normal conditions should one open to inspect for colony progress/laying queen ?
 
A Queen is expected to emerge from a QC on day 16. It would be in order to have a very quick check in a colony to confirm that the Q has emerged several days after she was expected to emerge. This should only be a quick, careful check. If the weather is cold, wet and or windy, leave well enough alone. An inspection in poor conditions is likely to do more harm than good.
If it looks as if the Q has not emerged there are several potential reasons for this. 1. You damaged the Q when transferring the frame and QC into the Nuc. 2. The Q got chilled on transfer to the Nuc. 3. Non viable larva. 4. Q has emerged but the workers decided to seal the cell back up again (sometimes with a worker inside).
Depending on the weather, leave the Nuc alone for a few weeks to give any emerged Queen a chance to get established in the Nuc, get mated and start laying.
Curiosity killed the cat. It can also stunt colony/queen development - particularly if you squash a queen during a panicked inspection between rain showers.
 
By all means check to see if the queen is out - you might even see her. She won't fly to mate for 5 or 6 days after emergence and then only in good weather. It will take a minimum of 2 days after mating for her to start laying. I don't have a problem inspecting when there's a virgin - but it should not be done when she might be flying - between say 10 am and 6 pm at this time of year. So once you know she has emerged, leave for 2 or 3 weeks is the general rule. Once she is laying you need to wait until the cells are sealed to be sure that she is laying OK. Solid brood pattern and not drones.
 
Hi

Split hive Friday last, result

Old brood national with sealed QC

3 Polynucs with Sealed QC's

Weather been bad since really, even today very gusty / windy so assume ?? will not have had a chance to emerge and go on mating flights.

When assuming we get good weather as forecast this week should I be opening to see if mating has taken place, been succesfull and queen has commenced laying ?

Thanks.

When I make Nucs up with open Queencells (generally) I leave them for a minimum of 4 weeks. What is to be gained by inspecting any sooner??
 
When I make Nucs up with open Queencells (generally) I leave them for a minimum of 4 weeks. What is to be gained by inspecting any sooner??

I make nucs with emerged queen, and I inpect nucs quite often that things are OK.
Summer is over if I wait 4 weeks and nothing can be done then.

But I must admit, that queen get injuries from the inspectings. But I must have enough spare nucs.
 
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I always wait a month. I understand the desire to have a look and see what's happening but there's no point disturbing them when you don't have to.
 
Thanks Guys

That really gives me the info I need.

Will wait a bit longer than a week until the milder weather due arrives and have a quick look after 6.00.pm.

Think though worth a peek after a then at least can tell queen has emerged, leaving for more , if queen failed to emerge, would lose valuable time as advised above makes good sense
 

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