Am I too late....

[KitzTaz]

Just got back from a holiday and hah a look into one and only hive and I think they have gone queenless . I see no signed of eggs, larvae brood of any sort, in fact no space either

All the frames are full with honey and pollen mostly sealed. I have two deeps I the hive for drone culling and even this has being filled..

So... If its is queenless and I can get a frame of eggs is it too late for a new queen to be raised.

Now for to get a frame in there, would require a 45min drive to a beekeep friend, how can I keep this frame in good condition on this trip?

Can I introduce a new queen if I can find one at this time of the year, or just leave them to it and worry about it next spring.

 

[MartinL]

Take the hive with you?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I see no signed of eggs, larvae brood of any sort, in fact no space either

No space - probably swarmed - if no evidence of QC's then there is a good chance you have a virgin queen in there. Or maybe the queen has gone off lay which does occasionally happen in August. Test frame is the way forward before you even think of spending money on a new queen

 

[Moggett]

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/archive/index.php/t-21766.html

 

[YorkshireBees]

1st of all don't panic.

As others have said there may well be a queen in residence, either a mated one that has stop laying (maybe due to lack of space) or a virgin waiting to start laying.

Wrap a frame in a warm damp towel or just place it in a plastic bag.
Eggs / larvae are pretty hardy and will survive quite well outside of the hive so long as they don't get too cold or dry out.

 

[sprocker]

is it not to late in the season to be rearing a queen

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Contrary to some beliefs it's still summer - plenty of time: you are talking a queen waiting to mate not raising a queen from an egg

 

[oliver90owner]

is it not to late in the season to be rearing a queen

Is that speaking from experienceof a 'one hive owner'?

Would you take the risk?

No, it is not too late - but that might depend on a lot of things....

If I were a 'one hive Owner', I would not be wanting to be taking risks with my one, and only, colony. Especially on the advice of an apparent 'no hive owner'.

 

[thorn]

It's not too late to introduce a bought in queen if you're uneasy about raising your own.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Had emerged queen cell in my nuc on 30/07/14. Checked today, no eggs. Found a virgin queen on one of the frames. Suspect this is the one emerged one as no other QC's. Would have thought she should have done her mating flights by now as there have been a few good days of good weather. Fear it is to late for her now, or should I just give her more time?

 

[Arfermo]

Had emerged queen cell in my nuc on 30/07/14. Checked today, no eggs. Found a virgin queen on one of the frames. Suspect this is the one emerged one as no other QC's. Would have thought she should have done her mating flights by now as there have been a few good days of good weather. Fear it is to late for her now, or should I just give her more time?

Give her more time - she may be mated and just getting her breath. Loads of drones and capped drone cells seen yesterday in at least a couple of my hives, lesser numbers in another. Latter might be in there on spec of a free meal?

 

[KitzTaz]

Thanks for all the replys think I will try the damp towel and warm box method, and the weather is supposed to get better in a few days so fingers crossed

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Give her more time - she may be mated and just getting her breath. Loads of drones and capped drone cells seen yesterday in at least a couple of my hives, lesser numbers in another. Latter might be in there on spec of a free meal?

Thank you. Still have lots of drones about as well.

 

[sprocker]

is it not to late in the season to be rearing a queen

Is that speaking from experienceof a 'one hive owner'?

Would you take the risk?

No, it is not too late - but that might depend on a lot of things....

If I were a 'one hive Owner', I would not be wanting to be taking risks with my one, and only, colony. Especially on the advice of an apparent 'no hive owner'.

what you on about it was a simple question

 

[beeno]

Hi Mrs. Shoot,
Someone said to me to put a frame of unsealed brood in with them in this situation. Sometimes it get the queen going. I tried it last year and it worked. Worth a go me thinks.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Hi Mrs. Shoot,
Someone said to me to put a frame of unsealed brood in with them in this situation. Sometimes it get the queen going. I tried it last year and it worked. Worth a go me thinks.

Thank you Beeno I will go and do this tomorrow. I have two other hives that should have virgins in (emerged 2 weeks today) still no eggs so have put a test frame in each. Haven't done this with the nuc as I have seen the virgin in there willing to give it a go.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Thank you Beeno I will go and do this tomorrow. I have two other hives that should have virgins in (emerged 2 weeks today) still no eggs so have put a test frame in each.

Two weeks after emerging I wouldn't expect there to be eggs (although I have been surprised once this year) Bit of a waste of a test frame I'd have thought

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Added a test frame today as weather was to bad yesterday. Noted there were polished cells. Just going to wait and see.

 

[Mrs Shoot]

Thank you Beeno I will go and do this tomorrow. I have two other hives that should have virgins in (emerged 2 weeks today) still no eggs so have put a test frame in each. Haven't done this with the nuc as I have seen the virgin in there willing to give it a go.

After adding a test frame to the nuc on Tuesday 2nd September checked today to find a queen and a frame of eggs YAY.
Also checked the two hives that had test frames added to the (hive 2 and 2a). Hive 2 has a frame of eggs in it now.
Hive 2a had QC's on the test frame. Discussions are still in progress on what to do. I'm all for taking all the QC's out and uniting back with hive 2. Hubby wants to leave all the QC's in there, he is assuming as it is late in the season the 1st one will emerge and dispatch the others. Still have drones about, and some drone brood in other hives.

 

[Erichalfbee]

QCs now, mated and laying in an ideal world four weeks from now. How many winter bees will you get? Maybe enough to put in a three frame nuc to mollycoddle through the winter. No brainer for me......unite with your strongest colony.