Drone laying Queen

[SixFooter]

Just done first inspection on one of my hives and it looks like I have a drone laying queen. I suspected she hadnt mated last year as the colony was what was left after a very late swarm. Just one egg/larva in each uncapped cell but definitely only domed cappings.
Will I be able to get a mated queen anywhere?
If not, will the colony survive until I can?

It's the only colony I have on the site and my other 2 colonies are about 500 yds away as the bee flies, so I dont suppose moving and merging with another colony is an option.

 

[Poly Hive]

Colony is doomed.

Kill the queen and unite to your strongest one by using news paper. Put your DL one on top mind. Poke a slit in the paper with your hive tool to give them a start and leave them to it.

It's a shame but it happens pretty much every year.

PH

 

[SixFooter]

Thanks, I thought that would be the case. If I move it to home and merge with one of the 2 colonies there, wont some of the foragers return to the old site (~500 yds away)?

 

[mbc]

The bees will be confined by the newspaper for a while and then they will have to take on a whole new colony scent before being fully united by which time hopefully they will have been so dissorientated before settling down again that youd hope the vast majority will reorientate to the new site. Bees have a habit of behaving contrary to our wishes though

 

[BKF Admin]

it looks like I have a drone laying queen.

Make sure you do have one before uniting,if you have laying workers they could kill your good queen..

 

[SixFooter]

If you have laying workers they could kill your good queen..

Dont want to risk that! I have not been able to find the Queen so far. I put a test frame in in the autumn though and the bees didnt produce any Q cells, so I guess she's there! Also, the capped cells are in a neat pattern which I think suggests there's a Q.

 

[Bcrazy]

Hey sixfooter,
Please dont kill the queen pop her in a match box or container and sent it to me please. I think you can find my address somewhere on this forum.
Thank you

Regards;

 

[Bcrazy]

MEMBERS PLEASE DO NOT KILL ANY DUFF QUEENS PLEASE SEND THEM ALIVE TO ME SO I CAN CARRY OUT SOME DISSECTION AND PHOTOGRAPH THE ORGANS INSIDE HER ABDOMEN TO SHOW ALL WHAT S WHAT. iF POSSIBLE POP HER INTO A CONTAINER AND INTO A JIFFY BAG AND SEND TO​

mR. M VAUGHAN, LAURISTON cOPSE wARBOYS CAMBS PE28 2US



MANY THANKS MEMBERS.​

 

[SixFooter]

No problem. If I manage to find her, I'll send her to you.

 

[MuswellMetro]

its a bit early but, you might get away with a bit of egg brood from your other hive, and let them make QC should be warm enough to mate in 15 days + hive time, and you have the drones

 

[Bcrazy]

Thank you Sixfooter

 

[Poly Hive]

I think it is too early to mess about stealing brood and supporting a duff queen.

Kill her and unite. Move on.

PH

 

[BKF Admin]

I think it is too early to mess about stealing brood and supporting a duff queen.

Kill her and unite. Move on.

PH

I think this is very hard to do at times,I agree its the best way,the experts have been saying for years to unite with another hive or just tip them out..
Buildup your best colonies and split later in the year to replace your duff hives.

 

[Bcrazy]

PH
I know what your saying is correct but instead of killing off the duff queens I would like them.
Thanks

 

[Hivemaker.]

Bcrazy i killed a great big fat drone laying queen today,sorry forgot you wanted them,hope i don't find any more, but if i do they will be sent to you.

 

[Bcrazy]

Thank you

 

[SixFooter]

I think I'd rather dump them than merge if there is even the slightest risk the laying workers could harm an OK queen.

How about leaving them where they are and getting them to draw out foundation until they fade away through natural wastage?

 

[Poly Hive]

For the record.

By "Kill the Queen" I mean remove her from the hive.

Whether you then chill her and send her to the body snatcher brigade, crush her under foot or hold a wake I care not.

So long as she is out of the colony and your way forward is clear.

Drone layers are a fact of beekeeping and the age old advice of having two colonies and (better yet) a couple of nucs to hand goes a long way to easing the pain.

So does a 15 year old Malt and that is actually the cheaper option.

PH

 

[mbc]

Make sure you do have one before uniting,if you have laying workers they could kill your good queen..

Highly unlikely they would have come through the winter without a queen . If your positive they dont have desease then uniting is the surest way of making use of the bees , its also probably one of the best places to store all that comb too- over some bees ready to split in an instant later on in the season .

 

[SixFooter]

I managed to find her and I am sending her to Bcrazy.