Crushed Queen in July

[Horseradish]

OK, so I caught a swarm this year and installed them into a National box. They had drawn out 7 of the frames, but there was crazy cross-combing going on, on the first three frames I caught them on. They had double layered, stuck together and generally messed up the bottom box.

Today I decided to go in and see if I could fix some of it. I cut through and released one of the crazy combed frames and a piece broke off, taking the queen with it to the mesh floor. I am hoping she is just stunned, but I suspect I am now minus a queen.

Am I right in thinking it's too late in the season to let them supercede? Should I just take the brood and stores and bolster another swarm colony that I have at another site? Should I buy in a commercial queen, knowing it won't get here for at least a week?

Suggestions gratefully received...

 

[Angry_Mob]

First of all need to ascertain is the Queen alive. Was there eggs and larvae present?, if not drop a test frame in from another colony. Check back next week and see if they have drew cells.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not too late but you have to sort the bee space out
Best sorted at the outset but I’m sure you know that now

 

[Horseradish]

They couldn't follow a straight line if their life depended on it.. She was twitching, but not running about when I sealed them up and stepped back.

https://ibb.co/MGpjMw1

 

[george]

There will be emergency cells in a few days if she is dead , keep an eye out later in the week , no need for a test frame just yet .
The mess of brace comb is due to the frames not being squeezed up together when you first closed the hive . Tidy it up as best you can and they will sort it out .

 

[Millet]

They couldn't follow a straight line if their life depended on it.. She was twitching, but not running about when I sealed them up and stepped back.

https://ibb.co/MGpjMw1

You should have eleven frames in that box with a dummy board at one end to close the gap down..

 

[Horseradish]

There are eleven in it, I've pulled the undrawn ones and a resource frame, to give me room to work.

They were all pushed up tight, they just drew out one side and then not the facing side. Making wavy comb and brace comb all over. First time I've seen this. Even on the foundation frames they went on to draw, they replicated this wavy pattern. This is obviously their preferred comb pattern, but I am not sure I can work with it.

 

[Millet]

Is the hive stand level..

 

[Hachi]

I bought two queens for expansion that arrived yesterday and I'm just off out to put them in the nucs.

Plenty of time to buy a queen if needed.

 

[Angry_Mob]

Was the foundation fitted nice and flat to the frames? Also, if you have some spare some drawn frames maybe put some in and alternate them with foundation so they will draw the other frames flat.

There will be emergency cells in a few days if she is dead , keep an eye out later in the week , no need for a test frame just yet .

There is if the hive is brood less or no young larvae.

 

[george]

If, is the important word there. I was working on the basis that the queen was killed ( maybe) today , still plenty of freshly laid eggs in there ?

Also , between frame 2 and 3 the brace comb is because the frames weren’t butted up , from your photo I can see the space and the comb isn’t broken , those 4 or 5mm are more important than people think.

 

[Bakerbee]

I may be wrong but i assumed the OP had opened up some space between frames plus some taken out for a good photo of his problem.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Am I right in thinking it's too late in the season to let them supercede?

No, it's still the middle of summer, colonies don't naturally supersede until much later anyway

 

[Swift Nick]

The bees have plenty of time to produce a new queen if eggs are present.

 

[bobba]

I may be wrong but i assumed the OP had opened up some space between frames plus some taken out for a good photo of his problem.

Some space has obviously been opened.

But counting from the top, if you look at the 2nd and 3rd frames - you can see the frames are not butted up, and joined by comb. I am assuming this is because they had been left with a little gap, so the bees have filled it in.

I am assuming the best way to fix this is to shake the bees off and scrape away the comb at the top of the frame. so they can be properly butt up again.

I am still a noob, so if what I have just said is a bunch of c&$p, then I am sure someone with with more experience will be kind enough to correct me.