Worldwide Beekeeping

Beekeeping => Beekeeping 101 => Topic started by: beeyhz on June 10, 2017, 04:58:30 pm

Title: yard full of Virgins !
Post by: beeyhz on June 10, 2017, 04:58:30 pm

Thanks Perry and Green Bee. 

I had two hives, one swarmed and got away and now no queens in that hive.  I'm assuming that there is at least one virgin in the hive and just needs to be mated. 

My second hive the swarm I caught and also thanks to Perry pulled a nuc out with a few queen cells and created a 4 frame nuc. 

So now I got a yard with two full hives with virgin queens and a nuc with a virgin queen.

Question is:  How long before the queen goes out and mates and returns and starts to lay?  or How long should I wait before going back into the hive to see if I got a mated laying queen?  My guess now is 7-10 days?  too little or too much?

thanks
Mike

ps. seen a piping queen for the first time...WAY cool  :yes:

Title: Re: yard full of Virgins !
Post by: Jen on June 10, 2017, 05:30:33 pm

Ahh Beeyhz... When I hear a queen piping I just get giddy  :D I mean how many people on this planet have got to hear a queen sing  ;D 8)

Title: Re: yard full of Virgins !
Post by: tedh on June 10, 2017, 05:48:35 pm

I'd give her two weeks.  One week for mating flights, one week to start laying.  If I didn't see eggs in two weeks I'd give her one more week.  Ted

Title: Re: yard full of Virgins !
Post by: Perry on June 10, 2017, 08:09:05 pm

Yup, 2 weeks to 3 weeks.
Well done! :eusa_clap:

Title: Re: yard full of Virgins !
Post by: beeyhz on June 10, 2017, 08:25:42 pm

Thanks everyone.  I guess I know what I'm doing on Canada day!  Lets hope for good weather.