Chucking a hive in a bush...

[SunnyRaes]

So, we have a DLQ / Laying worker in one of our hives, and it has been like this for some time. The original intention was to merge with another colony, so we thought we would try adding a frame of brood a week, but I think we've given up on that idea as we really wouldn't gain anything by doing that, other than risk a new buckfast queen!

So we'll simply house the nuc with the buckfast queen in a new hive on the same site in the next week or 2.

The most common advice we've seen is to dump the Q- hive in a hedge, and leave the stand empty. The bees will merge into the neighbouring hives (especially if we've smoked them so they've taken on honey) and none of these hives will let the DLQ or laying worker in the door.

So, if we are going to do this, does it actually matter how far away we dump the hive? I know that if we want them to go back to their original hive with the hope of losing the DLQ / laying worker you're supposed to go 50-100 feet away, but we aren't, so can we just dump it over the fence at the bottom of the garden about 10 feet away?

We should say that some distance away would be along a railway embankment (not massively accessible) behind neighbours gardens, so isn't an ideal solution

 

[meidel]

Hi

My understanding of DLWs is that even if they were to enter a queen right hive, the queen pheromones within the hive would suppress their laying instincts. So it wouldn't matter how near you shake them out.

 

[thebhoy]

Having had the same problem....an excellent layer (worker ) covered seven 14 x 12 frames in two weeks..edge to edge top to bottom......all drone when capped.

I just emptied mine on Saturday about 10 feet away.....had hoped that would have been enough...now, after reading this I am not too sure.

Had then placed a few queen cells in to see what happens...will know this weekend.....I hope.

Good luck to you.

 

[SunnyRaes]

Interesting question... what would happen to queen cells if placed in such a hive??

 

[Poly Hive]

Most likely torn down. They as far as they are concerned Q+. That is the devil of it.

PH

 

[DanBee]

My own experience is that anywhere more than 3 feet away works.

They as far as they are concerned Q+. That is the devil of it.

PH

I have a theory that this is why shaking into the hedge works, even when done nearby. Haven't been able to verify this yet, but...

Laying workers can be seen to initiate grooming response from other workers - false courts and false queens are the terms used. To elicit such a response, the laying worker must smell (somewhat) like a queen. Shake all these out into the hedge and they will fly home, find no home to enter, and disperse to nearby hives. Workers entering in a slightly dejected state will be inspected by the guards, found to be foreign but submissive, and probably let in. But guards at a queenright colony would never let in a foreign smelling 'queen', however submissive.

The difficult question is: would a queenless colony accept a foreign laying worker? In theory, yes, but I'd like to see this demonstrated!

 

[Poly Hive]

Find a bored scientist, always a grad looking for a PHD topic..

PH

 

[For want of a better word]

I have a cunning plan !

Firstly set up a queenright but evolving colony next to your drone layer colony but with the entrance facing the opposite direction to the drone laying colony

On a dry day ( I wish) remove all the comb from the drone laying colony and brush / sweep / shake ALL the bees into a box or bucket or other similar container and set to one side.

Take now empty drone laying colony hive and heave into bush / hedge / throw in pond or whatever will satisfy your displeasure!

Now place the queenright colony on the drone laying colony stance.

Above the brood colony of the queenright hive place a sheet of newspaper.
Above this place a queen excluder
On top of this place an eke with a bee entrance facing in the same direction as before ( but opposite to the queenright colony.
On top of this place a brood box ( hastily retrieved from hedge or whatever)
Into the brood box place all the drone comb removed from your drone laying colony.
On top of this put a crownboard with an open feed / escape hole.. or whatever you call them in your neck of the woods.
Above this put a roof but ensure it has bee escapes the drones can get out of.

Shake all the drone laying bees onto a sheet in front of the hive.

The queenright colony flying bees will return as normal to their hive as only inches away from their original home.
The drone laying fliers will return to their original home... hopefully without the drone laying worker/ duff queen.

The worker bees in both colonies will tear down the newspaper, the drones from the drone laying colony will hatch and dissapear through the roof ( or you could cull then earlier before they hatch that may be a good idea!)

Once things have settled down remove the queen excluder, and upper entrance and close off feed hole.
My guess is you will have a stronger colony and will not have lost all the workers.

The big question is would this work ?

Have a nice day !