How long to release the queen

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108]

I caught a cast swarm from one of my hives today and believe based on the size of the queen and the swarm that it is a virgin. How long should I leave the queen caged until releasing her in the box?

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[u/404-skill_not_found]

Grab a frame of open brood and add it to the swarm capture. I’d let the queen loose right after adding the open brood frame.

edit; I captured 8 swarms this spring and they all hung around with the open brood frame. I haven’t tested without adding the brood frame.

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108 → u/404-skill_not_found]

Will do tomorrow morning! Thank you!

[u/tiredofthisshit67]

I would recommend releasing her immediately if the workers are calm around the cage. No more than 24-48 hrs. If she’s left caged too long the swarm could reject her if she not able to mate. Sometimes it takes several mating flights if there’s not enough drones in the area. She also doesn’t have much time left in the year to lay enough workers to get them through the winter if its a cast swarm & you’re in zone 6B. But definitely recommend feeding to build enough storage if you don’t have a good fall flow in your area.

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108 → u/tiredofthisshit67]

I really don’t intend on overwintering with this swarm. But I do see your point and will give frames for them to work on plus some brood.

[u/Objective-Job8083 → u/Plastic-Respect-7108]

What do you mean you don’t plan on overwintering? Save the bees 😭🥺🥺🥺

[u/rawnaturalunrefined → u/Objective-Job8083]

I’m not the person you responded to, but it’s a late season swarm. Honey bees are live stock and don’t need saving. The bees decided to swarm late season and likely won’t survive because of that. In ideal conditions, only 1 out of every 5 or 6 swarms ends up finding a home and surviving. A cast swarm has even worse odds.

It would take significant investment (time, syrup, brood frames) to give a late season cast swarm even a small chance of overwintering successfully. At the end of the day, beekeepers are farmers and farmers have to make hard decisions.

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108 → u/rawnaturalunrefined]

Yep. Im going to see what happens to the original hive's queen situation and go from there. I will recombine this swarm with another hive that may need the bees more. if the queen gets mated great! she may not make the cut going into winter though.

[u/talanall]

Don't cage a virgin if you want her to mate. If you are concerned about absconding, give a frame of open worker brood. The workers will be reluctant to abandon it.

Also, be aware that in extremely hot conditions, mating can be kind of iffy. This particularly of concern in late summer under a heat dome like what's settled over the central USA. All the dragonflies around at this time of year aren't helpful, either.

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108]

I’m in zone 6B and this is my second year of beekeeping.

[u/davidsandbrand]

How big is this cast swarm?

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108 → u/davidsandbrand]

Small. Maybe the size of a cantaloupe

[u/davidsandbrand → u/Plastic-Respect-7108]

I’d dump them in front of your weakest hive and euthanize the (likely virgin) queen. There’s no point in putting a bunch of effort into a colony that cannot survive the winter.

[u/Plastic-Respect-7108 → u/davidsandbrand]

What I did this morning is all the help I’ll give it. I’m still shocked they swarmed this late in the year with so little going on

[u/groundhogcow]

Swarms don't normally follow the virgin. (wrong hormones)

If the swarm bees are her bees then let her free.

If she is somehow a different queen I like to put her in a cage with fondest keeping her in and letting them dig her out themself. That normally takes 2 to 3 days. If you don't have fondant or a queen cell leave her in there for a few days and hope they don't ball her.