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View Full Version : Swarm arrival : how long before her majesty starts to lay?



martynmain
04-07-2010, 07:19 PM
Hi everyone,
thanks for your time in anticipation. I managed to attract a swarm ( after weeks of searching for a nuc!).
Settled the colony last Wednesday into brood box ( they had decided to start setting down comb on the inside of the hive roofvfollowing their arrival!

Anyway, I'm off to do an "inspection" can I expect to see eggs?
Also, I'm feeding with Ambrosia, can I also compliment this with pollen feed or is there enough?

Many thanks!

Martyn

Jon
04-07-2010, 07:49 PM
If it is a prime swarm collected on Wednesday you will surely see eggs and probably larvae but if it is a cast swarm with a virgin queen it could be several weeks until she mates and lays.
There is a huge amount of pollen and nectar available at the moment so i wouldn't overdo the feeding unless the weather is grim for days at a time.
What size was it, ie, how many brood frames does it cover. A prime swarm could almost fill a brood box.

martynmain
04-07-2010, 09:08 PM
Thanks
They would comforably cover about 4 to 5 frames in total I would think.