DLQ & buying new Q

SavvySalli · May 5, 2021

Hi, I have one colony on National and one top bar. The National appears to have a DLQ. Everyone advises me to do a cut-out from the tbh but I’m doing this on my own and I really don’t think I can do it safely myself. I’m up against unreliable weather, only 5 years experience, a completely new technique to me, which could also mess up the tbh, and I’m really nervous now about getting it wrong. I’d rather just buy another queen.

There are so many intro methods that I’m now confused. I read the Steve Taber method on Dave Cushman’s site which seems easy enough, if I understand it right, but timing appears to be critical. Remove old q & leave1 day, or 2 days, or 5, or...; put intro cage in and don’t open up candy for several days,etc etc.

is there any reliable consensus?!

Erichalfbee · May 5, 2021

How strong is the colony? Is there much drone brood? Is there any worker brood?
If there isn't much in the way of a colony then just shake them out.
If they are worth saving remove the queen and requeen

viridens · May 5, 2021

Your photo shows mixed drone and worker brood, but not much of either. Is that queen cell charged?
Are you asking the right question?

pargyle · May 5, 2021

I'd like to see some photos of other frames ...there's capped worked brood in amongst those drone cells and some larvae ...and that looks like an uncapped queen cell at the top of the frame ... if it is they may have decided to supercede and you could have a virgin queen in there alongside your existing queen.

A cut out from your TBH may not help the situation and I would not rush into that or buy in another queen until you are sure of the problem..

We could do with a bit more information to be scertain what's going on ....