another conundrum

[rae]

I think this very much depends on what the weather does. If you've been queenless since Sept 15th, then the bees you have are pretty old, and if the weather takes a turn for the worse, then you'll have no winter bees, re-queen or not.

I would take the view that what is done is done. They may well have a mated queen in there, there are still drones about. If they have, then close up and feed - what are the stores like? If they don't have a mated queen, then they won't make it, but that is the way it is.

At this stage in the year, I fear that introducing a new queen would like to end up being money wasted. I'm also wondering what is causing large numbers of dead bees: is there an underlying disease problem.

From the position of having a larger number of hives, I have to admit that I haven't been "into" the bees for over a month. I wouldn't even take the risk of merging at this stage: if a colony is going to die, then leave it, don't risk another perfectly good colony in the merge process.

 

[Teemore]

I have been following this thread with a degree of interest.
On Saturday past I took a race around my apiaries to heft hives. Since i haven't been keeping bees all that long I am still getting used to what a hive with a good amount of stores feels like when hefted (I am in the position that even a hive full of stores feels relatively light to me and this is compounded by the fact I have a mix of poly and timber hives and am trialling a couple of 14x12s so it can be hard to get a consistant feel for what is approaching 'the right weight') Consequently I took the opportunity to pull a couple of the outer frames from some of hives in each apiary to assess stores etc.
All seem to have a goodly amount of stores but I noticed that there were drones present in one colony. Now, I regularly see drones being evicted from colonies throughout the winter and so was not alarmed to see drones at this time of year but something else did not seem right with this colony. Consequently I pulled out a frame with brood on it and noticed that the Queen (2012, mated in August) was starting to turn into a drone layer. The Queen was on the frame so i nipped her, knowing that I had a laying Queen in an apidea at home. I popped back last night, uncovered one of the feed holes in the crown board, placed a piece of newspaper over the hole, punched a few holes in the paper, set the apidea on top of the paper and pulled out the apidea floor. This does leave a gap at the back of the apidea but a bit of foam closed that up. I already had an empty super with that hive to act as a feed eke and with the roof of the apidea removed, all sits nicely under the eke. Given the time of year I did not want to be taking the crown board off again so this seemed the most expedient way to re-queen. The apidea can stay there all Winter if need be but I would imagine that if she is accepted, the Queen will move down into the warmth and greater space afforded by the brood box.
If I had not acted, the colony would likely have failed over the course of the next few months. If the 'unification'/requeening doesn't work I haven't really lost anything.
A number of the other beekeepers on the forum overwinter extra stocks to cover Winter losses - I am endeavouring to do the same. As others before me have said, try to work with at least two colonies - the second one is an insurance policy!

 

[Poly Hive]

And a couple of nucs are there too to "be sure to be sure"

PH

 

[Loubylou]

Teemore you are lucky to be in that position to be able to requeen in such a fashion, firstly to have been able to 'nip' out your old queen so easily and also to be able to introduce your new queen with very little disturbance to the colony. I am, and I have to accept this fact not so lucky.

However, having made my mind up to leave well alone I have just now been offered a queen for requeening!!! Heck I have to rethink again....
But my gut feeling is to leave well alone......
These are my options:
1. If I was to requeen now and it went wrong (having doshed my so called V Queen on the head) I would then be beating myself up about the possibilities of the V queen not having been a V and poss being fine for the spring.
2. If I leave well alone then all could be fine and dandy.... or not.

So basically, both are risks, the latter option I feel happier with as I have let nature take its course... somewhat.
Hey ho, I am damned if I do and damned if i don't, and there be the end of the lesson......NOT!!!

 

[beeno]

Hi,
Sorry Loubylou this beekeeping 'lark' is an exhausting business at times. However, IMHO there is a minute chance of your virgin being successfully mated this time of the year. If you have been offered a mated queen count yourself very lucky and go for it. Your Mr. Sage will be very happy to help you find your virgin to squish with the prospect of saving your colony I am sure. I lost my one and only colony last year in your circumstances because none of the four virgins got mated! Go for it girl. Doing nothing is not an option! I had a hive lose 1,000 bees over 10 days - now seems OK. Probably CPBV in the bee health section. Lots of luck.