Before I do something stupid again...

[malx]

After last weeks mistake with splitting a hive I wanted to ask for advice before i get myself into a pickle.

One full colony of bees, i cannot see a queen nor eggs. I can see larvae and sealed brood, lots an lots of sealed brood. Today i found some queen cells that were charged with really small larvae and food. There are about 6 spread over 3 frames. There are lots of stores so the hive is fairly full.

As I cannot see a queen or eggs I have to assume the queen is gone. It is possible i'm just missing them but try as i might I cannot see any.

From what I've read one option is to knock back all but one of the queen cells but would appreciate some advice.

Thanks

 

[Vortex]

There are 2 schools of thought ..
1QC = Advantage - no chance of swarming Disadvantage - is it a pup
2QC = Advantage - better chance of getting a viable queen - Disadvantage chance of a swarm

You could hedge your bets if you have a Nuc box .. Make up a nuc using 2 frames of brood - use the sealed, a frame with a couple of QC, and a frame of stores, then knock the main colony back to just 1 QC. Otherwise I would knock back to the best 2..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

After last weeks mistake with splitting a hive I wanted to ask for advice before i get myself into a pickle.

One full colony of bees, i cannot see a queen nor eggs. I can see larvae and sealed brood, lots an lots of sealed brood. Today i found some queen cells that were charged with really small larvae and food. There are about 6 spread over 3 frames. There are lots of stores so the hive is fairly full.

As I cannot see a queen or eggs I have to assume the queen is gone. It is possible i'm just missing them but try as i might I cannot see any.

From what I've read one option is to knock back all but one of the queen cells but would appreciate some advice.

Thanks

You can either go with the assumption she's gone and keep one good open QC or, you could take a chance she's still there (could well be) do a Wally Shaw Snelgrove II manoeuvre. This will bleed all your flying bees away from the mother hive - go in a week later, if the queen hadn't swarmed they should have taken down all the QC's in the mother hive and, with all the flyiers gone the hive will be less congested to spot the queen - you can then carry on with the rest of the A/S. (as you're not sure if they may have swarmed I would mark a few good QC's on different frames at the first stage)
If they have swarmed go back in to the side with the flying bees and knock down all the EQC's then go to the mother hive and take one of the marked QC's to put in with the flyers and reduce the rest down to one. Did more or less the same to a hive last month.

 

[malx]

Thanks for the replies, i appreciate it.
From what i've read the Snelgrove II method seems to fit the bill so will attempt to get back to the hives and carry it out.

 

[malx]

I think i'll try the WSII method. That is if the weather improves, nothing but rain