Drone laying and how to unite.

[fullframe45]

Last week i became suspicious one of my hives (the Q)has started laying drone brood and today i found several frames with drone combe only and what few eggs i could see were singles so i asume she is a drone layer and need to sort this out. I am thinking of buying in a mated Q . so am i right in thinking i will have to find and kill the drone laying Queen first and if so what is my next move and timescale .I have never done a Q unite before so this is my first allempt. Thank You.

 

[blackcloud]

Are you sure she's not layed any worker brood?
If you do need to Requeen then yes you will have to seek and destroy.

 

[fullframe45]

No worker brood at all just drone brood on 5 frames . Once she is destryed how soon can i introduce a new mated Queen. Thank you

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Once she is destryed how soon can i introduce a new mated Queen

immediately - or sooner

 

[fullframe45]

Thats what i will do then. Thank you.

 

[fullframe45]

Sorry to drag this out but as this is a first for me i am hoping it to go as smoothe as possible. So as i said previously no worker brood only drone and some eggs and quite a lot of uncapped honey. As this hive is DB and there are a good number of bees in it plus the Q is not marked and i have not got the best eyesight for spotting her i was thinking of shaking all the frames into an excluder to make sure i can find and remove her. Now if all goes well i should just be left with a Q- hive and several frames of just drone brood.So do i then fill the brood box with spare drawn frames and pollen some stores and omit the drone frames .Or add them to it. Hope this makes sense what i mean.I have a mated Q on order and she should arrive in 3 /4 days. Thank you.

 

[drex]

Drones are really only a drain on a colonies resources. At this time of year the bees are thinking about ejecting them. You need to add a couple of frames of soon to emerge brood from another colony to this nuc you intend to introduce a new queen into. Bin the excess drone brood

 

[Erichalfbee]

Chickens love drone brood. If you haven’t got chickens then garden birds will do

 

[fullframe45]

So discard the existing frames of drone brood and eggs. Then make up the new brood box with fresh drawn frames and worker brood from my other hive.Thank you.

 

[fullframe45]

Just thought id post an update. Shook and checked all the frames through a QX from the Drone laying hive today .No sighn of the Q. So having read on here that she could be small and gone through the QX. I will have another try tomorrow ,but if im not able to find her im not sure what to do next as i have a mated Q delivered on tuesday and im not wanting to risk uniting. I have a nuc that is Q- but i was hoping to unite the new mated Q with this hive.I would welcome any sugestions you may have. Thank you