# How long after swarm



## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

Usually, the swarm will issue with the old queen on the day the first queen cell is sealed, but often the swarm is delayed by weather and the swarm will issue when the virgin starts to cut her way out of her cell. This is the reason there are often multiple queens even in the Prime Swarm. There are several virgins emerging at the same time and they elect to leave with the swarm.

The first after-swarm is usually 8 days after the Prime Swarm. As the virgins in the remaining cells emerge they leave rather than fight each other, taking a small swarm with them. The most queens I have found in one swarm was 7, the original queen and 6 virgins. The most queens I have found this year in one swarm is 5, all virgins in one large after-swarm.


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