[log in to unmask] (George Clarkson/SC) asks:
 
>>On March 27 they swarmed.  I caught the swarm and hived it.  As of today,
April 3, I can find no eggs in either the mother colony or the swarm.  Has
there been enough time for the virgin queens to mate and start laying? The
weather has been clear and mild during the day for the last 2 weeks. I am
wondering if should give them longer to start laying or go ahead and requeen.
 
Probably not enough time, yet:  Sometimes it seems like forever for the new
queen to get going.  As insurance you might give them a frame or two of
brood.  If this has some eggs, it gives them another chance, in case the
mating failed.
 
   If there is a virgin queen, it would be hard to get them to accept an
introduced queen.  By the time you can be certain there is no queen, you have
all old bees which are ugly to work, and not likely to accept a queen.  You
can then best use this hive as a super on a good hive.  Or, if you really
must reestablish them, give them two or three frames of sealed brood, along
with the queen, so they'll have young bees to help the queen get established.
 
   Always, you are ahead of the game, whenever you can prevent swarming.  Of
course, sometimes the bees will not cooperate.
 
Dave Green, PO Box 1215, Hemingway, SC   29554
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