Chances of a Q- hive surviving the winter?

[garethbryson]

I have a hive that swarmed late on last year and as far as i was concerned had no mated queen going into the winter. Anyway, i left them to it just to see what would happen. Today i was giving fondant to my other hive that is doing well and i just looked into the other to see what was going on. I hadn't seen Any bee's flying from it but when i opened it there are about 3 frames of bee's still there. I gave them some sugar syrup that i had left over and will wait to see what happens. what are your views on how likely they are to be viable this year??

 

[RoofTops]

If they really have no queen then they will die out before you could rear your own queen from another colony or purchase one from European sources.

 

[drstitson]

Should've been united with your other colony. That's 3+ frames of bees wasted that could have been keeping your other HM warm whilst poised to raise brood as soon as possible.

"I have a hive that swarmed late on last year"

BTW How late - was it one of the end sept/early october heatwave ones?

 

[garethbryson]

Should've been united with your other colony. That's 3+ frames of bees wasted that could have been keeping your other HM warm whilst poised to raise brood as soon as possible.

"I have a hive that swarmed late on last year"

BTW How late - was it one of the end sept/early october heatwave ones?

thats exactly when it was.

 

[oliver90owner]

Wth an unmated queen there you will start to get drone brood as soon as she starts laying. That will initiate ageing process of any remaining nurse bees. I had one last year (late supercedure - but far earlier than your swarm) and there were still enough bees to unite with another colony - can't remember the date I did it, off hand, but there were still an appreciable number of workers in a six frame nuc - or I would not have bothered. Of course, there may still have been a laying queen, at the end of the season, in that one - I most certainly didn't check!!

This year may be entirely different. They may get through to a time when a bought-in laying queen might recover the colony. You have another colony, from where you may be able to keep the colony going by transfer of emerging brood.

I would, like as not, unite after removing the queen and any drone brood frames. But people with only two colonies are often reluctant to give up on a limping colony (ask Rose Cottage about it!!).

I would say 'viable' as a colony - possible, with external help, but a very poor excuse for 'a colony'. 'Viable' as a production stock - very unlikely without a lot of intervention (and more than one other colony for the source of imported assistance unless that colony, too, is not expected to collect a decent surplus).

RAB

 

[drstitson]

"BTW How late - was it one of the end sept/early october heatwave ones?

Thats exactly when it was."

I picked up a cute little swarm in one of my bait hives - found 2nd week oct with mostly open brood. currently cosy in a dummied down MB poly nat and holding on at the original 2-3 seams of bees.

 

[oliver90owner]

I picked up a cute little swarm

As per my example, Doc S. A little different than a colony awaiting a queen to be mated so late in the year. But until the OP confirms drone brood there is a small chance there may be a 'good-ish' queen in there.

RAB

 

[drstitson]

I gave mine the benefit of the doubt rather than donating workers to other colonies as 1. they'd gone to the bother of finding a suboptimally placed bait hive (east facing entrance on a shed roof on north side of house); 2. they had a decent brood:bee ratio all told so HM seemed to be trying her best and 3. they also seem to have good temperament (as far as can be judged when dealing with a tiny colony).

we'll see what happens come spring - they may decide to supercede early. who knows.

 

[boca]

I would unite them ASAP.