How long shall I wait for new queen to lay?

[Tomo]

Hi. I inspected my two hives today after leaving alone for three weeks, after a single QC emerged in each (after an AS and other manipulations).
One of the hives has new eggs and grubs, all good. The other hive has nice clean cells (polished) and plenty of stores but no sign of a laying queen. How long should I leave this hive before I merge with my spare queen? (from the original AS now in spare hive) My only concern is that I had to go into a lady's loft to check for a swarm a couple of weeks ago, as she had bees getting into her loft through a small hole. No cluster found, just flying bees. I had to trap them in/secure her loft. I may have doomed the virgin queen out on a mating flight, but why should she be going into other places? Of course these may not have been my bees, although she is about 150 ft from my apiary. Both new queens (if there are two!) are from the same mother so I would expect the same time pattern for both (is this normally the case?). How long do I give it?

 

[BeeJayBee]

If poor weather keeps a queen indoors for about 3 weeks after she emerges, then the chances are she won't mate successfully. So best to be patient.

You could try a test frame http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/testcomb.html from your other hive, you say you've got eggs, and see if they make a queen cell. If they make one it's likely that there's either no queen, or she's no good. If they don't make a queen cell and there is still no sign of eggs, it's worth testing again.

 

[Magwat]

Don't give up too soon. I know the books say 3 weeks & they're likely to be no good after that. Twice in the last 2 seasons I've waited 6 weeks from emergence & have had good, prolific queens.

 

[madasafish]

I have a hive which superceded end April. I inspected on 13th May : no sign of eggs.. but polished cells. Next inspection yesterday showed eggs and young larvae. So about 3 weeks...

 

[clv101]

How long do I give it?

My personal experience over the last few weeks... It took 27 days from catching a cast swarm to seeing a frame of eggs.

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
Well, if you have two hives and one queen managed to get mated and the other not then IMHO one should not blame it on the weather? She should be mated, but obviously not laying. You have split one colony three ways. Is there enough bees in the non-laying one? Has the flow suddenly stopped?
The stock is your major concern. I have done it both ways. One laying swarm queen sacrificed as she was laying multiple eggs and they just sat there. I gave her two weeks. A|l my other queens were laying well at the time. Ended up with two late supercedures last year and I had to sit them out. I had no spare queens at the time (none of my queens were laying well), but I got away with it. Now, I have two spare 2014 queens. At the end of the day it is your call!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well, if you have two hives and one queen managed to get mated and the other not then IMHO one should not blame it on the weather?

And why not? did the queens emerge on the same day? even if they did, it doesn't mean the both would have been ready to mate on the same day. Previously I've had two queens from the same hive laying well but there was a gap of three weeks between them starting to lay (and as the nucs were next door to each other, they had the same weather conditions!

 

[beeno]

Hi all,
There were a few beeks that were rather peeved last summer as they had waited for Godot and blaimed their misfortune on the advice of the forum - inclement weather not being an issue.

 

[bontbee]

Hi. I inspected my two hives today after leaving alone for three weeks, after a single QC emerged in each (after an AS and other manipulations).
One of the hives has new eggs and grubs, all good. The other hive has nice clean cells (polished) and plenty of stores but no sign of a laying queen. How long do I give it?

If they are polishing, bringing in pollen, leaving empty cells where you'd expect a brood nest to be and fanning proprietorially, she's probably just a bit slower getting into her stride...

 

[Tomo]

Both queens emerged at the same time and have had the same weather and the same mother. The bees in the hive with new eggs and grubs seemed slightly grumpy and the bees (lots of them) with no laying queen were very mildly tempered! Back to front surely? Bees in no laying Q hive very busy and happy, lots of stores. My gut feeling is that she has failed to return for one reason or another (would workers bother to polish if there was no Q?) I will give it one more week then unite with spare queen if no sign, I don't want to waste any more time. Question: what would happen if i united and there was a non laying Q? Punch up or introduced Q killed? also I want my spare hive back, which houses spare Q, can I put the box on top with a QE and news paper underneath (in order to make it easier to find HM?). Thanks again.

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

I've had one virgin running around for about a week and two more from about today. Bl%dy weather...

 

[Tomo]

Question: Would the bees polish cells if there was no queen? What would (in your experience) happen if I united my spare queen and there was already a queen but not laying? (The original Q's daughter)
Thanks again. I know there are no definitive answers, but, it is a wise man that learns from the mistakes/experience of others.......

 

[VeronicaDribblethwaite]

Just put a reply on a similar post asking advice about a possible queen-less colony. In short, I waited over three weeks from hatching to a point when I was about to insert a frame of brood from my other hive. However on this inspection there were a few recently laid eggs on one frame, but on the next frame the new laying queen was present. Throughout this apparent ‘queen-less’ period the bees were pretty relaxed - certainly more than I was.

 

[whoosling]

I thought my nuc was queenless, hadn't been able to go look at it and now 4 weeks later has a lovely new queen. year 3 so far is teaching me to wait abit longer before worrying myself silly about what to do next, good luck.

 

[oliver90owner]

What would (in your experience) happen if I united my spare queen and there was already a queen but not laying?

One dead queen, of course!

 

[Tomo]

Good answer RAB, but I bet you don't know which one would win?
The original queen is a huge brute and could only manage to fly 6 ft to swarm even after slimming down. Now, would a new agile queen be at an advantage or disadvantage? My money is on the fat one!

 

[Tomo]

Inspected today and the big hive is still queenless but happy. Lots of food, space, polished cells etc. I'm playing by the book here. One more week then I will unite with my spare Queen as I want my spare hive back. I have a feeling this is not the last of the swarming urge! Seems like a long summer already....not a complaint, I love wearing my shorts! (not when inspecting I hasten to add)

 

[Dishmop]

My observation hive swarmed Easter weekend and its only during the last 45 days that I have seen signs that the new queen is laying.. Three days ago I saw grubs but yesterday I see lots of capped brood.

 

[ratcatcher]

Inspected today and the big hive is still queenless but happy. Lots of food, space, polished cells etc. I'm playing by the book here. One more week then I will unite with my spare Queen as I want my spare hive back. I have a feeling this is not the last of the swarming urge! Seems like a long summer already....not a complaint, I love wearing my shorts! (not when inspecting I hasten to add)

why not put in a test frame and save waiting, you have eggs/larvae in the other hive, if they start building QC, you'll know it's Q- and can then either let them make a queen, or remove the frame and combine them, knowing the wont be a punch up?

 

[Tomo]

I hear what you are saying, but a test frame is not the way to go I feel, as my other hives need what they have. Next weekend will work fine for me. It's a matter of when I can get over to the apiary and of course what the weather is doing. By the book, I'm giving her one more week then will combine if no show. What's the betting that I find eggs next week? Whatever, all will be well as my plan of keeping a spare Q has been worth the extra outlay for kit.
I will have to get a nuc box next year though as Murphy's says my two hives will go into swarm mode at the same time......