# When do you check your new swarm?



## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

I have 2 swarms captured so far; one on 4/8 and one on 4/20. Both were put into mediums with frames and left alone. We have wonderful pollen flow right now and both boxes are busy with comings and goings although not seeing any pollen brought in quite yet.

My question is how much time do you all let past before opening up the hive and taking a look to see what is going on inside?

Also how long before the girls should have built comb, queen lays and new bees hatch? Do swarms ever take off with virgin queens? Do I need to check and make sure she is laying?

thank you.


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## Fuzzy (Aug 4, 2005)

I usually let em be for 3 days before looking in. And again after 2 weeks to check for capped brood. After 23-24 days they should be hatching.


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## Barry (Dec 28, 1999)

CaBees said:


> Do swarms ever take off with virgin queens?


Yes, they do.


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## zookeeper (Oct 21, 2009)

I found a virgin queen in a swarm I caught last weekend. I guess I knew they would do that, but it still surprised me to find her.


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

I usually let them sit at least a week before going through the hive.


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## enchplant (Apr 10, 2011)

I agree with Dan give them a week if you have the patience. Feed them sugar water. They have a nice nectar flow going on in Novato but my swarms suck down a quart of syrup every day. When the nectar flow slows there will be robbing so make sure you have entrance reducers. 
So lets say it was a virgin queen. She will make a few mating flights if the weather is good and so in about a week or so would be ready to lay. You should see some evidence of eggs within 2 weeks.

Congratulations!


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## CaBees (Nov 9, 2011)

Thanks all! I am going to check the 4/8 swarm this weekend, the 4/20 I will leave alone. I appreciate the advise. CaBees


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## TheRatLover (May 13, 2012)

Are you concerned about catching Africanized bees when taking on swarms? -Lori


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

They aren't colonized in the SF bay area. I've heard of a few hot hives, but don't know if any of them where AHB.
I had one last year I assume was.


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## NasalSponge (Jul 22, 2008)

Like others I wait a week or if I know they have a virgin I wait two. All the counties I catch swarms in have found comfirmed AHB colonies. I have yet to run across one.


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## psfred (Jul 16, 2011)

Since I've been catching swarms in nuc boxes with a full set of frames, I move them in a couple days. I fed one, didn't feed the other, and have the same result -- a full set of drawn frames with nectar or syrup in no time.

I had laying queens in both, with eggs in a couple days at most (moved one into a hive in 4 days, the other in three). I don't think checking on them in a couple days is a problem once they've settled in, definitely not if they are flying and bringing in nectar and pollen. Both had drawn out at least a couple frames, the large swarm was already out of room, having filled three frames with brood and nectar and the other two with nectar. Quite a surprise!

Mine oriented immediately once they were in the nuc, so I wasn't worried about them leaving, but I was worried that the second swarm would not fit -- there was absolutely no extra space in there and to do it again I'd have used a full deep!

If they don't act happy and were not doing orientation flights as soon as you open the entrance, they may want to move and I'd leave them alone longer.

Peter


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