First inspection

[Levitt53]

I did my first inspection of my new hive yesterday with the beekeeper who gave them to me. The super was virtually full of honey. The brood box had all but two frames with sealed brood, larvae and some stories. We couldn't find the queen and found at least 3 queen cells, at least 1 of them was sealed. Sorry exact details escaped me in the excitement. We couldn't find any eggs. So assumed supersedure going on. We added a super, sealed it all back and left them to get on with it.

It was a great experience. I never new the unhiatched queens hummed loudly. I assume this means she nearly ready to come out?

Co-incidentally I saw a swarm in the garden on Monday morning. Pretty sure they weren't from my hive for 2 reasons. Firstly they were very near my hive and I could still see my bees coming and going as if nothing was happening. Secondly, yesterday my hive was absolutely full of bees. I can't imagine they could have come from there and left it that full. They might have been the lot I lost the week before from the swarm I was given (will add QE next time). Any way - what a sight. Shame they didn't settle in my garden.

Loved doing the inspection though. How fascinating - think I'm hooked.

 

[JWF]

If you found a sealed Q cell and no eggs, you can be pretty sure you lost a swarm. If you saw one in your garden, you can be even surer!

Either way, glad you enjoyed doing an inspection, welcome to beekeeping

 

[Erichalfbee]

Oh dear
I suspect your colony HAS swarmed.
Sealed QCs, no queen and no eggs. With a supersedure the old queen keeps laying till the bees replace her.
The fact that you appear to have masses of bees is misleading.
The clincher is the swarm you saw in the garden on Monday.

PS
Just for info
and I could still see my bees coming and going as if nothing was happening. .
I have watched hives swarming and I can tell you that you see bees laden with pollen fighting against the flow to get in; obviously not involved in the swarming process

 

[madasafish]

Oh dear
I suspect your colony HAS swarmed.
Sealed QCs, no queen and no eggs. With a supersedure the old queen keeps laying till the bees replace her.
The fact that you appear to have masses of bees is misleading.
The clincher is the swarm you saw in the garden on Monday.

PS
Just for info
and I could still see my bees coming and going as if nothing was happening. .
I have watched hives swarming and I can tell you that you see bees laden with pollen fighting against the flow to get in; obviously not involved in the swarming process

A swarm makes the air appear full of bees some flying at 3-5 meters high in big circles. Wonderful to see.. even more so if someone else's bees....

 

[Eyeman]

We couldn't find the queen and found at least 3 queen cells, at least 1 of them was sealed.

I would recommend you go back into your hive +/- with your mentor and go through each frame and reduce the number of queen cells to ONE. Pick one that is still uncapped with a large larvae visible but DONT shake this frame. Shake the bees off all other frames so that you are confident that you haven't missed other queen cells.
Good luck

 

[Levitt53]

Oh dear
I suspect your colony HAS swarmed.
Sealed QCs, no queen and no eggs. With a supersedure the old queen keeps laying till the bees replace her.
The fact that you appear to have masses of bees is misleading.
The clincher is the swarm you saw in the garden on Monday.

PS
Just for info
and I could still see my bees coming and going as if nothing was happening. .
I have watched hives swarming and I can tell you that you see bees laden with pollen fighting against the flow to get in; obviously not involved in the swarming process

Oh well. It was the first chance we had to check the hive and they are no worse off for it as very full and lots of activity and lots or pollen going in so they are strong now. glad I saw it though.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I did my first inspection of my new hive yesterday with the beekeeper who gave them to me. The super was virtually full of honey. The brood box had all but two frames with sealed brood, larvae and some stories. We couldn't find the queen and found at least 3 queen cells, at least 1 of them was sealed. Sorry exact details escaped me in the excitement. We couldn't find any eggs. So assumed supersedure going on.

Swarmed - Number of queen cells is no indication of whether it's supersedure (unusual at this time of year) or swarming.
When did you last inspect before this time? if queens were piping in the cells they've been there at least a fortnight.
They'd obviously run out of room, a second super should be put on well before the first is nearly full.
Unless you open up virtually immediately after the swarm has left, colstantly emerging bees will make the hive look as full within hours.
As Eyeman - you need to go back in and sort out those QC's
How much beekeeping experience has your mentor got?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes you must reduce those QC to one. The reason being that your colony is still strong. The first Virgin to emerge will be allowed to mature while the others will be kept in their cells by the bees. When she is ready to fly they will swarm again with half the colony. Then they will either settle down and sort out one remaining queen or they will swarm again. I would echo JBM's question of how much experience your mentor has.

 

[RogueDrone]

You also have the option of whilst carrying out your reactive swarm control to split the colony one QC in each part and increase your number of colonies this then will give you a better understanding of how well each colony is doing via comparison. Your mentor should be able to take you through this.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Oh well. It was the first chance we had to check the hive and they are no worse off for it as very full and lots of activity and lots or pollen going in so they are strong now. glad I saw it though.

May be strong now, but you have to understand that it's now going to be quite a long wait for the queen to emerge, get mated and start laying and even then it will be a while until she gets a head of steam up. So you will see a drop in income as bees die off, then, when she's laying bees will have to be diverted from foraging back to nurse duties.

 

[Levitt53]

I don't have a mentor. The beekeeper who did the inspection with me was the lady who sold me the bees (a friend of a friend). She will advise me again if necessary but is not a mentor. The bees had not been inspected this year before we did it on Wednesday (which I was a little surprised about being where we are) so what people have said about the numbers makes sense that they had swarmed (still glad I saw it though). To be honest with it being my first try at inspecting I was a little fazed and can't remember exactly what the state of the QCs were (larvae, capped etc) - yes I know I should have paid more attention! I also need to wear my reading glasses as I hadn't appreciated the obstruction that the veil causes! Anyway if there is more than one either capped or with larvae I think I will split them and see what happens. Although if the one that was piping has hatched then I guess I can't do that because I won't be able to find her. In this case I tread carefully and destroy all the others and keep it as one hive? Does that sound like a plan? There is enough honey to split the full super if I do split them.

 

[shazzer]

Checking my Inspection Board

After installing my Nuc 5 days ago. I have been leaving them to settle in and in a couple more days do my first inspection.

I have in the meantime been keeping an eye on the inspection board beneath the mesh.

I keep seeing tiny little black coloured pellets is this scat of some sort?

The pic has been zoomed in a bit.

 

[Levitt53]

I have no idea. I assume you meant to start a new thread.

 

[Millet]

After installing my Nuc 5 days ago. I have been leaving them to settle in and in a couple more days do my first inspection.

I have in the meantime been keeping an eye on the inspection board beneath the mesh.

I keep seeing tiny little black coloured pellets is this scat of some sort?

The pic has been zoomed in a bit.

It looks like Earwig poop, but bigger can shrews gain access.

 

[shazzer]

No Shrews as we are on a rooftop.

Will keep an eye out for earwigs etc.

and report back if I discover the source.

 

[shazzer]

I have no idea. I assume you meant to start a new thread.

Sorry to barge in Levitt53 I used the search function for 'First Inspection'

If a mod can help me delete my posts that would be fine.

 

[Levitt53]

Sorry to barge in Levitt53 I used the search function for 'First Inspection'

If a mod can help me delete my posts that would be fine.

Lol don't worry. This is a great forum but always best to start a new thread as everyone goes off topic quite a bit anyway without much help. I think I've decided what I need to do and what my plan is.

Good luck - I think we'll need it

 

[shazzer]

Lol don't worry. This is a great forum but always best to start a new thread as everyone goes off topic quite a bit anyway without much help. I think I've decided what I need to do and what my plan is.

Good luck - I think we'll need it

Thanks mate.
Its going to be a big day today.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think I've decided what I need to do and what my plan is.

Good luck - I think we'll need it

What have you decided and let us know how you get on.
It's always a lesson to all of us how these problems pan out.
oh......and good luck

 

[Levitt53]

Ok

A. If the one that was piping is uncapped I will assume there is a virgin queen there and destroy all others and leave them alone.

B. If it is still capped and there are no other capped ones I will destroy all others and leave alone.

C. If it and one other is still capped I will split them. Leave the good capped one in position a with the flying bees and some brood. The other capped one I will put in the new position with most of the brood.

How does that sound?