combine or raise new queen?

[thenovice]

Hi all,

just checked my bigger colony and to my horror there is only capped brood left in it. I could not find the queen so I presume she is AWOL.
this hive is on 12x14 and full of stores, capped brood and bees. there is also some freshly filed stores in a super on top of it, which is ivy from the last week. I have another smaller colony (standard brood on 8 seams and a super they are filling up with syrup i am feeding them. I could take a frame with eggs from this one but I am afraid that queens from this frame will never be able to mate. any advice? if combining is the only way forward, do i do asap or as late as possible in the season?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have just finished a unite and it went well. Make sure the colony is queen less then combine. That's what I would do.
Are you treating with thymol or MAQS at the moment? That might put Q off lay?

 

[La Folie]

I would suggest that putting a frame of eggs from your smaller colony would at least confirm (or not) that you are queenless in the larger colony. You do not then need to allow queen cells to develop, you could just combine How long since you last saw the queen? It may that she has just stopped laying as winter approaches.

 

[thenovice]

I would suggest that putting a frame of eggs from your smaller colony would at least confirm (or not) that you are queenless in the larger colony. You do not then need to allow queen cells to develop, you could just combine How long since you last saw the queen? It may that she has just stopped laying as winter approaches.

saw BIAS about 2.5 weeks ago. will put a frame in and see how it goes.

cheers

jan

 

[REDWOOD]

Not finding the queen and no eggs does not mean she is not there as queens do go off laying. Did you see any QC's when you inspected, are you treating for varroa

 

[thenovice]

Not finding the queen and no eggs does not mean she is not there as queens do go off laying. Did you see any QC's when you inspected, are you treating for varroa

sorry, should have mentioned. No Queen cells and last varroa treatment ended august 1st... In a way I would not mind having to requeen or combine. it is a nicely producing colony but very aggressive at times...

 

[pargyle]

Hi all,

just checked my bigger colony and to my horror there is only capped brood left in it. I could not find the queen so I presume she is AWOL.
this hive is on 12x14 and full of stores, capped brood and bees. there is also some freshly filed stores in a super on top of it, which is ivy from the last week. I have another smaller colony (standard brood on 8 seams and a super they are filling up with syrup i am feeding them. I could take a frame with eggs from this one but I am afraid that queens from this frame will never be able to mate. any advice? if combining is the only way forward, do i do asap or as late as possible in the season?

It's probably too late in the season now to have much hope of a queen they start raising now would get mated. So, if you are CERTAIN they are queenless you are either faced with buying in a laying queen NOW (they are still available) which will also solve the problem of feisty bees or combine with another hive,