Ergh what a day!

[bjosephd]

So I have a hive that I somewhat muddled up my AS.

It was the flying bee half of the AS that had a queen, then the queen was moved away and I put in a queen cell from a preferred hive.

So after seeing a cluster outside the hive yesterday I thought I better inspect.

So I clearly got the timings all wrong and even though I had broken down QCs a number of times they still managed to throw a frame of QCs.

But fortunately I found the QC of my preferred queen was intact, cut it out and took it back to the house to liberate her and out her in a cage... all set for my first caging if a virgin queen and.... it was empty and they had resealed it!!

So then commenced virgin catching as they were popping out left right and centre!

I caught 5, god knows how many more there are in there!?

Could do with some mating mini nucs, but guess I just have to try using normal nuc boxes if that's possibe!

I just could bring myself to eliminate a ton of emerging queens!

Suddenly I'm a bloody accidental queen breeder!

 

[bjosephd]

And someone opened the shutters this morning this morning so maybe being sat in the window not ideal. They are all pretty lethargic this morning so I'm not very hopeful of their survival.

I gave then a tiny drip of last years honey each last night. Maybe I shouldn't?

 

[bjosephd]

If I put them in a hive with the fondant covered is it possible they will get fed.

Above a crownboard for example?

 

[madasafish]

If I put them in a hive with the fondant covered is it possible they will get fed.

Above a crownboard for example?

They should be Ok for a day there.

But you really need attendants with them.. about 6 each. Catching them is easy .. choose ones from the source hive who have their bums in the air.. catch by the wings...and insert..

A queen with attendants plus food is fine for roughly (Don't quote me) 6-7 days..

 

[bjosephd]

What a bloody nightmare. I'm somewhat reluctant to let these ones mate anyway as their mother is a right 8itch.

Quite a (good?!) learning curve though! So when they are virgins I actually WANT I'm already practised!

Bloody hell virgin queens move FAST. They teleport.