# No eggs 3 weeks after swarm



## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Hi, 

One of my hives swarmed about three weeks ago. I opened up the hive today, for the second time since the swarm, and I’m still not seeing any eggs. I also did not see a queen, but I really wasn’t looking for her, just some eggs. Also, not sure if this information matters, but they’re putting a lot of honey in the hive. Before the swarm there were several queen cells in the hive. Is it time to order a new queen? Thanks


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Not yet on ordering the queen. Have you seen the bees bringing in any pollen? Are they foraging and calm like they should be. When you looked in the hive the last time, did you see any circles on the comb that they were not putting honey in (it may have had honey over it and on the side but the cells in the circle were clean and empty)? I would give it another 7 days or so and look again. Sometimes it takes a bit. Eggs are hard to see and the spot they start may not be very big starting out. If you had another hive, you could put a frame of open brood in as insurance against laying workers and if they start cells, you will know they need them. I bet they don't though if they are bringing in honey well. Just a little more time. I am new but also it took me 30 days from swarm to see eggs and brood last year.
Good luck
gww


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## ihor (Jun 13, 2018)

Found a swarm (caste?) but no eggs, just comb being built with some nectar. Bought a one year old queen and placed her box in the hive - I didn't wait 3 days as recommended, but let her out after 6 hours (read that if you brush grass leaf over the box and bees do not get upset nor attack leaf, then she is accepted. I did this and it worked. Within days, there were eggs and then capped brood. Saved the swarm and it is now thriving.


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## Yunzow (Mar 16, 2017)

agree


gww said:


> If you had another hive, you could put a frame of open brood in as insurance against laying workers and if they start cells, you will know they need them.


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## ihor (Jun 13, 2018)

Yes I took a comb of capped and open brood form my second hive so that I had more bees should the original swarm dwindled. They emerged and helped maintain momentum.
Thanks.

Hive 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjDfVFeFJYT/?taken-by=ihorpona
Hive 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjdAwCCFxt0/?taken-by=ihorpona


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

Yes, I did see some pollen coming in, and they were pretty calm. I didn't notice any circles, but I wasn't looking for them so they very well may be there. Sounds like I need to give it a little more time. Thanks for the info.


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## Thucar (Mar 11, 2017)

Both, my initial swarm with a virgin queen and having the bees raise a new queen this spring took very close to 30 days to see eggs. So if they are calm and busy working, the odds are, everything is good and going according to their plan.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I wanted to add a little information, and ask another question. This hive has swarmed twice this season, and they were fairly close to each other. I'm not seeing any drones (just looking through the side window), which is making me think that all the drones either fertilized the queen after the first swarm, and then died, or left with this last swarm. 

I have one other hive that was started about a little over a month ago from the first swarm. They have about 10 combs drawn out, some with drone on them. I'm thinking that part of my problem is that there are no drones to fertilize the new queen, so should I take a bar with drone brood from the new hive and put it into the one in question? I'm just nervous about taking from a new hive. thanks


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

labow
It does not matter which hive the drones are in, it only matters that there are drones around.
cheers
gww


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## Amiaji (Jun 8, 2017)

I'm still new so take this for what its worth but every time I have made a split it has always taken a week longer that the bee math said it would to see eggs. Even got worried enough one time to add a frame of eggs to a split. Checked again a week later expecting to find queen cells and instead found eggs and a laying queen. I'm not saying the math is wrong but I have learned to be a little more patient.


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## trishbookworm (Jun 25, 2016)

Here is a funny test for the presence of a soon-to-be laying queen... if new comb that is being drawn out is large-celled (like drone or honey comb), there is no queen, she didn't come back. If there is smaller, worker sized cells being drawn out then there is a queen who is coming on line soon. I have seen this in 2 hives now, where there were a few too many bees to see the queen easily, saw the comb, then checked in a week and saw the queen or eggs.

It's a very good idea to put fresh eggs/larvae in at the 3 week mark too. Laying workers are a pain to correct, easier to prevent. If there is another hive, even if it is just starting, realize that eggs and very young larvae are "cheap" - no pollen or nectar has been spent on them. So they are easy to replace.


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

I think when I check them tomorrow, if I dont see any eggs, I'll pull a bar of eggs from the other (new ) hive. I'd rather not take from them, but they're building like crazy, and their numbers seem strong, so I think it'll be okay.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Sounds like a plan.
Good luck
gww


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## Labow (Mar 10, 2016)

There were eggs in the cells when I checked on Friday so everything looks good for now. Thanks for the help.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

Very nice.
Cheers
gww


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