Evidence Of The Old Queen's Leaving
Categories:
SWARMING.
Bee Keeping:
Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
That the old queen does leave with the first swarm is indicated by
several things: one is, eggs may often be found on the board the next
morning; another, when the first swarm has left, and before any of
these royal cells hatch, the bees may be driven out and no queen will
be found, or you may drive out the bees at the end of three weeks, and
the brood of workers will be about all hatched, the drone brood not
quite as
ear. The combs may also contain some eggs, and perhaps some
very young larvae, that have been deposited by the young queen, which
begins to lay usually sixteen or eighteen days after the first swarm.
This shows a cessation of laying eggs for about two weeks. First swarms
will have eggs in the cells as soon as they are made to hold them,
which is often within 24 hours after being hived; occasionally a new
piece of comb will fall down, and, if the cells are deep enough, they
are almost certain to contain eggs. I could add other proof, but the
attentive observer will discover it himself.