Drone laying Queen

[Rock_Chick]

It seems that bad luck is on my side this year,both my hives have Drone laying queens,which is down to the bad weather last year not getting mated.
question is what can I do about it at this time of year,all the bees in the hives will be old bees so they will most proberby die off before I can try and requeen.And to make matters worse they are the most bad tempered bees you could wish for.

 

[Polyanwood]

That is grim. You have my sympathy.

It seems too early to raise a queen from a borrowed frame of eggs.

I guess you don't have a buddy who has an over wintered nuc spare? At least you would stand a chance of combining and ending up with one then?

I wonder how early you could get an imported queen if you dare.

 

[gavin]

You have my sympathies too. However as they are old bees and the queen is already laying drones, don't waste your money on a new queen (imported or not!) and if someone has an overwintered nuc to spare you would be better to build it up rather than risk fusing it with a drone layer.

 

[Finman]

.
It is better to join 2 hives and first kill the unmated queen.
The bigg hive will grow rabidly and you get a nuc from that.

 

[Rock_Chick]

I think I should just let them die off and start with a new lot. If anyone has a any spare bees please let me know,they seem to be in short surply in the north west.

 

[BKF Admin]

Did they have imported queens or uk raised?

 

[Rock_Chick]

They were both last years queens one of my hives swarmed and the other was so bad tempered I tried requeening with a queen from a local beekeeper she did'nt take,I ended up putting a frame of eggs in for them to raise there own.

 

[BKF Admin]

Sounds like you did everything you could,but the weather let you down.
Did the queen mate during August.

 

[Rock_Chick]

yes I remember it was getting late in the year.
Never mind these things happen,Its the price of a nuc thats bothering me now.Lets hope were in for a better year (weather wise)the bees need it.