Emergency queen cells - uniting.

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oliver90owner

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I removed a queen on Sunday, as I found her, and moved the uniting colonies closer together.

So I was expecting to unite end of the week but did it today. Colonies not really quite close enough but it had to be sorted. The bees were quite busy foraging even though wet and fairly miserable weather. It had just about stopped raining.

I did not see another queen today but not a sign of any emergency cells. Saw just a few eggs and quite a lot of very young lavae, but the weather was foul, so it was not open for too long. Lots of brood in the hive but few stores. Not one of my better colonies.

Anyway, colonies together with paper between. I daresay I will finish with another nasty tempered queen instead of the more docile one I was hoping for.

So one of two things; another queen present or they realise the weather is too bad to even try! I did notice what looked like a few drone cells when I went through it Sunday and thought 'just about got this one at the right time'

Any thoughts, anyone?

Regards, RAB
 
Yes.....i would of left them nine days before uniting,after removing the queen.
 
Yeah, possibly two queens.

You say you didn't have a good look inside the hive, but even so I would have thought emergency queen cells would be visible.

Whenever I have united I have always done so at the same time as killing the unwanted queen. I do not like to allow them to 'think' they are queenless, even though they might if locked away behind some newspaper.
 
RAB


After uniting do you generally winter your colonies as single, double or brood-and-a-halfs?


Ben P
 
Whenever I have united I have always done so at the same time as killing the unwanted queen.

Okay as long as your really sure there is only the one queen of one kind or another.
 
14 x 12s are already about a brood and a half equivalent. That is more than enough for wintering when full (or even a couple frames light). Dartingtons have nine or ten frames but sometimes finish with more. One or two may have a super left on if too big for the 14 x12 brood after harvesting. I rarely feed sugar so I don't really care as long as there is no vain space - I will get it next year, or perhaps nick a frame for another colony. Just depends on what there is and how they get on late in the season. It's easy to get them through the winter if they are cosy, dry, well fed and healthy; getting them to the first flow with a full foraging force is the greater danger time for starvation.

RAB
 
Yes.....i would of left them nine days before uniting,after removing the queen.

that is very good principle. When the hive has capped its emergency cells, they accept very likely a new queen. If they have queen larvae open, they often attack on the new queen.

In autumn the chance to loose the queen in uniting is big. During feeding chances are very good and bees do not fight.


I am just no uniting my hives and i just shake then together in front of hive. Or i just put them together.
I do not like paper method.
 
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Yes.....i would of left them nine days before uniting,after removing the queen.

Unfortunately it could not wait that long. My beekeeping season has all but ended. I have at least 3 colonies that really need a bit more attention before settling down for the winter, so they may well have to have simply organise themselves or find a new temporary beekeeper!

Bye for now.

Regards, RAB
 
Why don't you like the newspaper method Finman?
 
Hope all goes really well for you RAB, and your soon back fighting fit,sure the bee's will be just fine.
 
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