Swarm Control
Arbeiten am Bienenstand
From cherry blossom until into June, every colony is checked weekly for queen cells; nine days is the outer limit between checks.
From cherry blossom until into June, every colony is checked weekly for queen cells; nine days is the outer limit between checks. The reason lies in the queen's development: after three days as an egg and five days as a larva, the queen cell is capped around the eighth day after the egg is laid, and from then on the swarm can leave at any time. A total of sixteen days pass until the young queen hatches.
Every brood comb is checked, especially the lower edges and margins; a quick glance across the top bars is not enough. What is being sought is queen cells with an egg or larva in them, not just queen cups. If a capped cell is already found during the check, the swarm may have left long ago.
What matters is the cause, not just the cell: crowding, an old queen, poor ventilation. Anyone who only tears down cells only pushes the problem a week further. Anyone who creates space, forms a nucleus, or renews the queen solves it.