Adding Purchased Queen Immediately after Splitting

[gwt_uk]

Hello all,

I am going to try two of my colonies on double brood this season (first time I have tried it) so I can split them for increase. I am intending to use a QE between the two BB when ready as I have read it is best to keep the Q in the bottom box.

Once the top box is removed and moved to a new location (likely in the same apiary but I have the option to move them to another site) am I able to add a purchased queen to the colony immediately? I haven’t 100% decided to buy one but looking at options.

As ever with my bees, things may not go to plan and they will likely just fill the top brood boxes with OSR honey!!

 

[jeff33]

Yes you can.... whether they accept it or not is a different story. I would probably equalise the boxes with brood frames as you split and maybe shake a frame of bees in the q- half.

Put the queen straight away in her traveling cage and wait 24h before removing the tab. If it's in the same apiary all flyers will have returned to the original hive which may make introduction easier.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

As Jeff
If there is no flow on it sometimes helps to feed them some 1:1 syrup
but you need to introduce the new queen immediately on splitting, not a few days later