failed nuc- healthy queen

[Buzzo]

hi
started a nuc 3 weeks ago with 1 frame brood but had a lot of robbing from bees and wasps so now have a healthy queen with little brood and few worker bees.

Any advice please? i also have a v aggressive hive that i am planning to replace their queen next spring.

B.

 

[ericbeaumont]

started a nuc 3 weeks ago with 1 frame brood

Recipe for a sub-optimal queen, but at least you have one.

robbing from bees and wasps

Recipe for robbing: a weak queenless nuc.

healthy queen with little brood

Enough to determine that she's laying OK? My guess is that the nuc stores will also have gone, so all in all, pretty soon she'll stop laying.

planning to replace their queen next spring.

Do it now, before the spare you have is no more.

 

[enrico]

Nothing to lose, requeen stroppy hive with queen from nuc now.

 

[ericbeaumont]

replace their queen

Suggest you make up a nuc with a frame or two of sealed brood and introduce her to that.

Once she's laying, unite the nuc to the strong defensive colony.

 

[ericbeaumont]

replace their queen

make up a nuc

Oops! She's already in a nuc!

 

[Hebeegeebee]

It takes a couple of months for stroppy bees to die off so if you requeen in mid March (with what?) you'll have stroppy bees for a good part of the season. As you have a good queen to use, why not use her now?