how before the queen starts laying after a swarm?

[rober]

how before the queen starts laying after a swarm?

[Perry]

Usually queens hatch out a couple to 3 days after the prime swarm leaves. Give them a week to find each other and narrow the field to one, then a few days for mating flights. I would probably be looking around 10 to 14 days after the swarm.

[rober]

I mean the original queen that left with the swarm. how long before she get's back on track?

[Lburou]

I mean the original queen that left with the swarm. how long before she get's back on track?

In a day or two, unless she needs to get mated.

[Perry]

Sorry, I misunderstood the question.

[rober]

it's been near 2 weeks. I put them in a single deep. yesterday there wasn't any brood & no signs of the queen. I sprayed them with sugar water before I collected them. they were on a small branch & when I shook it they ALL dropped into my box. with the exception of less than a dozen stragglers I got them all. it was a good sized swarm so I do not think it was a secondary swarm. I'll check them again in a few days.

[Perry]

Sounds like maybe a virgin queen (afterswarm)?
Drop a frame with eggs in there and if they start raising one you'll know, if they don't you've got one in there.
Be patient, sometimes virgin queens take a while to get going. I've waited up to 3 weeks for a newly hatched queen to start laying.