Mother Hive now without a queen

[Jen]

So now that I have my life back from the swarming incident two days ago...

I almost forgot my Mother Hive and that it is now without a queen. But! there are two queen cells inside the hive. I have to make a decision on whether to see if I can get a producing queen out of those cells, which will take a long time. Hatching, mating (there are plenty of drone cells!) laying, and waiting for baby bees. In my mind, because this happened early in the season... it's totally plausible for the Mother hive to get ready for winter....  Right?

Now that the queen is out of that hive, how long will it take for the queen cells to hatch?

Or, should I buy a queen, and that queen would be mated.... Right?

[DLMKA]

http://www.bushfarms.com/beesmath.htm

at most about 25 days to have a laying queen if you use Michael Bush's bee math which I've found to be dead on accurate.

[lazy shooter]

It may be difficult to find a commercial queen available, and secondly, do you want a queen from local genetics?  Those are two of the considerations, and the other decision is how soon do you want a laying queen?  In brief, how far away are you from a major flow?  The upside is, all of these are UPSCALE problems.

[Perry]

I would just leave things as they are and let them raise their own. Also, there is no guarantee that the new queen you purchase (assuming you go that way) will be accepted or is any better. Just my opinion. 

[Noronajo]

There's not a huge amount of research behind my data but every single queen I have ever put in a hive that wasn't raised in that hive has been superseded from the first 2 packages I bought in 2011 on. Those queens that came with the packages lasted long enough to lay a couple frames of eggs as did 3 All- American queens I ordered last year to give my splits a head start. I started with Buckfast bees(supposedly) and they seem real fond of their own genetics so I pretty much let them take their time on queen production , only supplying frames of eggs from a sister hive when necessary. I shook my head in frustration after buying those 3 queens and finding supercedure cells a few weeks later but those hives did just fine.

[apisbees]

Also by letting the colony re-queen from cells the brood break it is providing is a good means of mite control in both the swarm and colony with out the laying queen. As you have stated, it is early in the year and the bees will recover and produce a crop of honey from both hives. Hope you have lots of honey supers minimum 3 for each and be ready to extract to replace then when they are filled and capped.

[iddee]

The new queen will emerge shortly after the swarm. She may emerge today. Then 2 weeks to start laying. You will have brood from the old queen emerging for those 2 weeks. I would leave mama hive alone until 14 days or more after the swarm, then check QUICKLY for eggs, and leave alone for 1 more week. After that, resume normal inspections. New queens are finicky, and don't like to be bothered.

[Jen]

Lazy- ""In brief, how far away are you from a major flow?""

Help me remember?  What does a major flow have to do the the status of the queen  Thanks! 

[Perry]

If you are hoping to have maximum colony size to take advantage of the flow.
In other words, if your flow is a ways off, let them raise their own. If the flow is imminent, buy a queen.

[Jen]

Perry ""If you are hoping to have maximum colony size to take advantage of the flow.
In other words, if your flow is a ways off, let them raise their own. If the flow is imminent, buy a queen.""

We've already had one flow, the mother has good nectar. And now we have more dandelions. So I think we are right on a new flow.

Now, I'm just this year learning to pay attention to bloom and flow in our area ~ just sayin'

[apisbees]

From what I know of the west coast and the pacific weather this early swarm has done you a huge favor. It will provide the brood breaks in both the swarm and parent colony. The dandelion, fruit tree, other trees, and berry flows are all good flows but non are for very long. They are great for building up the colonies in the spring but are mostly used by the bees in building the colonies to full strength. Your main honey crop wont start till June. Fruit trees and dandelions only produce nectar in abundance for a few hours a day, unlike the clovers and alfalfa that will secret nectar for most of the day. This being said the parent will have time to raise a queen and both it and the swarm will have time to build up before the honey flow. Please resist putting any frames of brood to the swarm as this will defeat the varroa control that will happen with the break in brood.
The swarming has restored a balance in size and the time it will take the colonies to build up, so it has preformed you swarm control for you by swarming. It is great that you managed to catch the swarm, it makes the chances of having 2 successful producing hives this year a real possibility. I am happy and thrilled for you that after the last couple of years of trying to keep bees in to small of nucs, the future is looking good.
At the last bee meeting on Monday night I came across a couple that were trying to keep bees in nuc boxes that were only 5 frames. The beekeeper they got the nucs from told them they should stay at that size and keep all the boxes the same size for ease of use and interchangeability. and they thought that they had done something wrong when they didn't make it thru the winter.

[Jen]

Apis - ""From what I know of the west coast and the pacific weather this early swarm has done you a huge favor. It will provide the brood breaks in both the swarm and parent colony.""

Jen: Apis! right now You are the honey in my tea    thanks for the encouragment

Apis - ""This being said the parent will have time to raise a queen and both it and the swarm will have time to build up before the honey flow.""

Jen: WHAT!   You mean we might get some honey this year! omg omg omg omg. It will be the first year that I get any honey, I'm into this four years now 

Thanks Apis !! ~hugs~

[Jen]

Apis ""It is great that you managed to catch the swarm, it makes the chances of having 2 successful producing hives this year a real possibility. I am happy and thrilled for you that after the last couple of years of trying to keep bees in to small of nucs, the future is looking good.
At the last bee meeting on Monday night I came across a couple that were trying to keep bees in nuc boxes that were only 5 frames. The beekeeper they got the nucs from told them they should stay at that size and keep all the boxes the same size for ease of use and interchangeability. and they thought that they had done something wrong when they didn't make it thru the winter.""

Jen: Deep Satisfying Sigh! I Sure Hope So! Thinking Positive this year for sure ~ Giddy!