Requeen or not.

[666bees]

This Thursday will be two weeks after the new queen should have hatched. Thought I would just have a quick peek today but after lifting the suppers off and the bees went mad quickly put it back together. They also followed me for about 70 meters.

A: Could it be that the virgin queen is not mated/laying yet
B: Just needs requeening.

Will do a full inspectiion this Friday and look for the queen. But peoples thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[oliver90owner]

Less than two weeks? It could be four. Depends a lot on the weather.

What time did you open them up? You should not open them around a possible mating flight time.

OSR has gone over or is close to it. They may be more defensive because the flow has ended.

Was the weather a bit stormy? Electric storms in particular, can make them tetchy.

Changed deodorant/aftershave/perfume/hair spray/etc, beesuit just been laundered, mobile phone, just had a curry or similar.

So it could be one or more of several reasons, incuding your 'A' or 'B'.

RAB

PS BTW today was yesterday!

 

[Midland Beek]

No point in doing a full inspection and looking for the queen.

 

[666bees]

Take it you thing the queen has not mated or has gone awol?

 

[666bees]

Oliver I tried to inspect them about 10:30 yesterday morning. But they have been foul ever since they went queenless. Thought they may have started to settle down by now.

 

[For want of a better word]

RE v: CURRY... was the wind from the South East..... a Balti wind..... even my dog gets tetchy if she smells that pong!!!

 

[Midland Beek]

It is not often that you get a colony with no queen it, but it is always a possibility. If you made balls-ups and perhaps accidentally destroyed queen cells, then there is more of a case for thinking that they are queenless. Inserting a test frame is the way to find out, but with one colony that is not an option.

Since I first started keeping bees it has consistently taken a long time, typically of the order of 3/4 weeks, for queens to start to lay. Why would it only take a couple of weeks when we live in Northern Europe? Beekeepers in places like Cyprus and Hawaii get queens mated and laying in a couple of weeks.

 

[Poly Hive]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=8643&highlight=test+frame

PH