Culling old queen

[sharonh]

I have an old queen that I'm going to cull. I then want to unite the q- bees with a newly queened colony. How long after culling, can I unite with q right colony ?
New queen is only laying a few weeks now so not a big colony. Uniting would strengthen for winter. Older queen has bigger colony so would this be a safe uniting for young queen.

 

[madasafish]

Squish queen
Spray both with a natural air freshener. Unite.. No wait needed.

Edit

the air freshener removes the smell of all queen phemerones..

 

[bontbee]

Squish queen
Spray both with a natural air freshener.

As I never buy air fresheners, (and avoid shopping whenever possible!), would you be kind enough to specify a "natural" brand, please?

ta muchly

 

[itma]

the air freshener removes the smell of all queen phemerones..

Ahhh … the power of marketing!
It doesn't remove smells, it just overpowers them with a different smell.



Re Q acceptance. The more closely related new Q is to the Q- workers, the more easily accepted she will be. Similarly, a new Q fully into lay will be accepted more readily than a novice.

Since you don't seem to have more spare Qs, my advice would be to delay terminating the old Q until you know for certain that new Q has been accepted.
Suggest you transfer old Q to a nuc with a minimal colony until you know that you manage nicely without her. A micro-nuc (like an Apidea) would be ideal, but any nuc should suffice - just minimise its entrance and protect from wasps.

 

[drstitson]

"Ahhh … the power of marketing!
It doesn't remove smells, it just overpowers them with a different smell. "

not quite true for Febreeze though - that actually traps smelly molecules within a donut shaped cyclodextrin.

 

[Moggett]

Ahhh …

Since you don't seem to have more spare Qs, my advice would be to delay terminating the old Q until you know for certain that new Q has been accepted.
Suggest you transfer old Q to a nuc with a minimal colony until you know that you manage nicely without her. A micro-nuc (like an Apidea) would be ideal, but any nuc should suffice - just minimise its entrance and protect from wasps.

Very good advice. If she's a good queen keep her as long as you can in a nuc. There are many of us who have regretted disposing of an old laying queen when the new one disappears in October.

 

[oliver90owner]

If the old queen is past her use-by date, or not so good temperament, she is squished. There is some merit in retaining her if you don't have many hives - and you don't.

I normally make the colony hopelessly queenless, by culling every (and I mean every) queen cell about 8 or 9 days after removing the queen (6 days is minimum), then I unite with the nuc on top, using the sheet of newspaper method. A Dartington 'half coverboard' or two come in handy to 1) cover half the bottom box and 2) deflect any rain from the joinf of coverboard and nuc box. Never let me down yet.

But plenty of variations. I have never had a failure, so see no reason to try and rush the job, if time is not important.

 

[madasafish]

As I never buy air fresheners, (and avoid shopping whenever possible!), would you be kind enough to specify a "natural" brand, please?

ta muchly

I use AirWick Colours of Nature (100% Naturally) . Scent: Blue Ocean Coral (but any will do). Powered by compressed fresh air.. not any solvent)

I've used it for uniting, adding comb with BIAS and bees, and introduction of new queens for three years with NO problems.

None of this newspaper rubbish, waiting days rubbish.. Spray the receiving colony, insert new colony and spray it. Spray the receiving colony, insert queen in cage..

Works every time.

Makes life MUCH easier.

(and when you are dealing with TBH or Langstroths, it's very flexible..)

My can - in use for three years - is still over half full. 2 second bursts all that are needed.

As per ITLD

 

[midnight sun]

"Ahhh … the power of marketing!
It doesn't remove smells, it just overpowers them with a different smell. "

not quite true for Febreeze though - that actually traps smelly molecules within a donut shaped cyclodextrin.

Ah! Wondered how that worked. Thanks, I'll sleep better tonight! It's also used in "powdered alcohol". Rum stuff, if you forgive the pun!

 

[REDWOOD]

As Rab keep the old queen if shes OK and make a nuc up

 

[sharonh]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I have five hives. Two of which have last years queens. The queen that I wanted to cull isn't failing but as the hives are in my garden, I wanted to try to go back down to just having a couple.
The new queen is a daughter of the queen I was going to cull.

 

[bontbee]

I use AirWick Colours of Nature (100% Naturally) .

Thank you maaf