# Going on Vacation after Swarm



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Hey everyone,

So I got my bee package in April, and almost two months to the day, on June 18th, they swarmed. Not exactly sure why, but that's not really the issue right now. My issue is that I've had a trip planned for a while, and will be leaving for about two weeks this next week. The hive is not even fully built out yet, they have 3 empty bars at the back of the hive, and I just added one to the brood nest. 

So, is there anything that I should do to prepare for the two weeks away? Not sure if this info is relevant, but when I checked on them yesterday most of the queen cells that were capped are now empty, so (fingers crossed) they should have a new queen. I just have a nightmare scenario in my head of coming home to an empty hive. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

Best thing to do is leave them alone for 2 weeks.... Good thing you are going on vacation. The virgin queen needs to harden and go out on her mating flights.

In two weeks you should see larvae and maybe capped brood. I usually can not see the eggs so I just look for larvae (old eyes). 

There is always a chance the queen wont make it back from the mating flights but worry about that after you get back. 

Have a good vacation, bees have been taking care of themselves for thousands of years.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks Chuck. I'll get back when it has been 3 weeks since the swarm, but hopefully 1 week wont make too much of a difference. 

There's still some larve (possibly capped now) and capped brood from the last queen. I guess the new queen will fill the gaps. 

Do i need to be worried about expanding the brood nest at all before I leave? there's one almost empty bar in there right now. Not sure if they'll want more room.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I got home yesterday, and I dont think things are going well. they arent building new comb, and I dont see any eggs. I'm assuming this means that either the new queen isnt laying, or that she abandoned ship for some reason? can someone please confirm that what I'm seeing is consistent with a hive that has no queen?

thanks!


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## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

That's because it has been less then 1 month. It takes a FULL 28 days for these new girls to do there think. And that is +\- some days. If they swarmed June 18 I would give them till July 18 before changing anything at all. Give the bees a chance.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks for the response! That's great to hear. hopefully she'll start laying soon. there were a lot of eggs/brood when the last queen left with the swarm and they have all hatched since. Is there anything I should be doing to keep them happy until the new queen starts laying?


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

The new queen calendar typically follows this pattern. The hive swarms about the time the queen cell is capped (Day 8) and she emerges on day 16. A new queen will start laying around day 28. So you have about 20 days between the swarm and the queen starting to lay give or take 5 days. It will take her a week or so to be totally in the groove. So... July 18 is likely a good guess that you should see eggs and maybe larvae.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I just went through the entire hive, didnt see a queen (which is okay, i guess, i cant expect to see her every time), but i also didnt see any eggs. 

So, at this point is it safe to assume that I have no queen?

If a queen was born, as i believe there was since there were queen cells that were capped and then weren't (meaning, they hatched), why would she leave?

Thanks.


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## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

Did you see any larvae? If so then a queen was there 4 to 12 days ago


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

No, no larvae. All cells are empty (besides those with pollen/honey).


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

it won't change or cost you anything to wait another week. That's what I would do


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

but aren't i risking losing my hive if I wait too long? I mean, worker bees only live 6 weeks, right? and it's already been 4 weeks


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

if you have no queen - the hive is already lost - to rebuild the hive you will need a frame or two of brood for startup.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I cant just introduce a new queen?


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

there your bees - you can do what you want - BUT if it were me - and my money - I would wait 1 more week - then no eggs - go to other hive and pull a couple of frames of brood - to give the new queen some young bees instead of all those old bees you have now - you'll get better acceptance that way


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I get what you're saying, but i dont know where I would get a couple of frames of brood. I only have this one hive.

You said the hive is already lost though. Are you saying that I cant just get a new queen and introduce her to the hive?

thanks.


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

you can labow - and that 6 week bees dead thing - well that's hogwash. During a real hard honey flow yes bees ware there body's/wings out at around 6 weeks - but how do the fall bees get a hive through winter 3-4-5 months in different areas. it just depends on what's happening with the hive - Wait a week - then if you don't see anything find a queen and put her in. This is why you should always start with 2 hives. Don't have anybody around you that you can score a couple of frames of brood from? Cale has a lot of bees. I will tell you this - without some young bees - queen introduction is rough. no local beekeepers around you?


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Thanks for the info. 

I'll ask around and see if I can find someone. but TBHs are not very common so I dont know if I'll be able to find anyone. 

I contacted the beekeeping association here, which catches swarms, and they said that I should put a swarm in the hive. What do you think about that? Isn't a swarm sometimes caused by a queen not performing? So wouldnt there be a chance of getting a bad queen?


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## sakhoney (Apr 3, 2016)

that's an idea - and I did not know your were top bar hive - I didn't look. Swarms are bees way of having baby's. They usually have a good enough queen that she got the population up enough to swarm (plugging hive with honey and the brood nest). But you may still have a virgin queen running around in there - she just hasn't started to lay - you may be fretting over nothing. Repost next week after checking the hive


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

yeah, i just checked again and still nothing. but good news! i got a call a little while ago from someone at my beekeeping association that said they have a swarm for me, so I'll be getting that tomorrow. 

If anyone has any advice on introducing a swarm to a hive that already has some bees in it I would love to hear it. I started a new thread to dicuss that: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?329022-How-to-introduce-swarm-to-hive-with-bees

thanks!


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