DLQ

[drex]

I have a strong colony that I am sure has a DLQ. A few capped worker brood, but lots of drone in a solid laying pattern, in worker cells. Not a lot of adult drones yet though. Eggs and young larvae, so I know she is in there, but they are quite bad tempered now though . Thankfully only on single brood but I cannot find the queen. I usually have no problems queen spotting. Tried separating frames into pairs. Still no luck.
I will move them tomorrow to bleed off fliers, have another look and if needs be sieve them.
Any suggestions of what to do if I still cannot find her?
Remember that there are still eggs, but they have become bad tempered.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have a strong colony that I am sure has a DLQ. A few capped worker brood, but lots of drone in a solid laying pattern, in worker cells. Not a lot of adult drones yet though. Eggs and young larvae, so I know she is in there, but they are quite bad tempered now though . Thankfully only on single brood but I cannot find the queen. I usually have no problems queen spotting. Tried separating frames into pairs. Still no luck.
I will move them tomorrow to bleed off fliers, have another look and if needs be sieve them.
Any suggestions of what to do if I still cannot find her?
Remember that there are still eggs, but they have become bad tempered.

Shake them out in a patch of brambles a few hundred yards if possible away from the hive site

 

[philh1503]

Hi Drex, I'm in almost exactly the same position, with the addition of a continuous rather angry buzz instead of the usual quiet hum. Eggs are at all stages from newly-laid to emerging. I also have a number of drones on almost every comb, and a big problem finding the queen, who I reckon was the result of supersedure last month just before a bit of bad weather which might have spoiled her mating. You say "Tried separating frames into pairs." but I'm not familiar with this, can you say a bit more please?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Phil, as you go through the box pair frames together with a gap between pairs. Queens prefer the dark and are unlikely to cross the gap.

Have a nucbox handy and pair the first few frames in there, to give you space in the main box.

Once you've checked the paired frames individually, it's time to check the box. Set up a spare brood box and floor and transfer the frames, keeping them paired.

Take the original box into the light and check slowly. She often hides in the rebate. Check the floor.

Take your time, use minimal smoke; she's there; you'll find her.

 

[rook66]

I have a strong colony that I am sure has a DLQ. A few capped worker brood, but lots of drone in a solid laying pattern, in worker cells. Not a lot of adult drones yet though. Eggs and young larvae, so I know she is in there, but they are quite bad tempered now though . Thankfully only on single brood but I cannot find the queen. I usually have no problems queen spotting. Tried separating frames into pairs. Still no luck.
I will move them tomorrow to bleed off fliers, have another look and if needs be sieve them.
Any suggestions of what to do if I still cannot find her?
Remember that there are still eggs, but they have become bad tempered.

I was there a few weeks ago but I had an old queen in a kieler 'pending.' I introduced her using the cage with two food boxes and she was accepted and is still there laying away. It pays to hold on to these old queens if possible, at least untill the end of the season.

 

[drex]

Shake them out in a patch of brambles a few hundred yards if possible away from the hive site

So intent on combining I had not thought of just shaking them out. I will have one more go at queen spotting in the cool of the evening and shake them out if not seen.
Stupid me. Taught me not to have tunnel vision.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Stupid me. Taught me not to have tunnel vision.

Happens to us all - unlike rugby, it's handy sometimes to have someone watching from the sideline proffering alternative ideas

 

[masterBK]

One of the double brood garden hives superseded in early May and the new queen killed her mother but then didn't get mated (bad weather in May) so became a drone layer. I normally have no problem finding queens but didn't find her on two attempts so I carried out a forced supersedure by introducing a protected "ripe" queen cell (wrapped in kitchen foil apart from the end) that was about 1 or 2 days off emergence. Worked a treat as three weeks later when I next looked there were 6 frames of brood. A few years ago in a similar situation I ran in a "pulled virgin" as an experiment which also worked. They are very good at finding "older" queens and disposing of them.

 

[drex]

Thanks master Bk. Now that is an idea. I have some queen cells not far off emerging.

 

[user 819]

If DLQ unmated then she will be not larger then a worker, but will be still be able to id as a Q. Sieve through a QX as her thorax should still prevent her going through.

 

[drex]

There were a few capped worker cells, so I presume she has mated but run out of sperm

 

[Erichalfbee]

One of the double brood garden hives superseded in early May and the new queen killed her mother but then didn't get mated (bad weather in May) so became a drone layer. I normally have no problem finding queens but didn't find her on two attempts so I carried out a forced supersedure by introducing a protected "ripe" queen cell (wrapped in kitchen foil apart from the end) that was about 1 or 2 days off emergence. Worked a treat as three weeks later when I next looked there were 6 frames of brood. A few years ago in a similar situation I ran in a "pulled virgin" as an experiment which also worked. They are very good at finding "older" queens and disposing of them.

That’s a nifty trick

 

[Finman]

You may move the hive few metres. The bees will fly to the old site and the laying queen will stay in the old hive. Make a new hive into the old site. Take a brood frame from another hive.

You may make sure with excluder, that the queen do not move to the old site.

 

[Finman]

There were a few capped worker cells, so I presume she has mated but run out of sperm

I had some queens which made during one day mating flights. Other days were cold and rainy. They started layinh with drones.

Normally queens need 1-3 days to do matings. They use even 4 days if there is one rainy day in the between matings.

 

[oliver90owner]

First thing I would do is split the colony into two boxes and listen to them after a few minutes. Then check, with pairs of frames, in the quiet half.