Finding a queen.

[Newbeeneil]

I'm normally pretty proficient at finding queens but I have a colony on 14x12 frames, threatening to swarm, that refuses to give up their queen.
I've tried all the normal methods for finding her including pairing combs etc so tomorrow I'm returning with a broodbox with a QX attached.
I propose to remove the 2 supers.
Remove the BB and set aside.
Set the supers on the floor.
Put the BB with QX on top of the supers
Shake the frames into the BB and let the workers "drain" into the supers.
Hopefully I'll be left with the queen and drones on the QX.
Does this seem feasible?
Cheers

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I'm normally pretty proficient at finding queens but I have a colony on 14x12 frames, threatening to swarm, that refuses to give up their queen.
I've tried all the normal methods for finding her including pairing combs etc so tomorrow I'm returning with a broodbox with a QX attached.
I propose to remove the 2 supers.
Remove the BB and set aside.
Set the supers on the floor.
Put the BB with QX on top of the supers
Shake the frames into the BB and let the workers "drain" into the supers.
Hopefully I'll be left with the queen and drones on the QX.
Does this seem feasible?
Cheers

Do what Mike Palmer does - move brood box and frames then basically, empty brood box onto floor,QX, empty brood box, with enough of a gap between the QX and top box to slot in a frame - shake bees off one frames into top brood box, pop empty frame back into the bottom BB and slide in to make room for the next one, repeat; bees will drain through leaving the queen behind (apparently she usually ends up tucked in between the sides and the QX) and the shaken bees will have just popped back onto the frame they were shaken off. remove top BB and QX

 

[Newbeeneil]

After making up the BB with QX last night and arriving at the apiary armed to the teeth I unloaded all the bits of kit and opened the hive to remove the combs. Had a quick look at the outside of the 1st comb and there she is....... bold as brass in the middle of the frame!
Popped her into a nuc with frames and bees, loaded the van and left them to it.
I'll knock down the cells to one next week.
That's beekeeping for you.

 

[enrico]

After making up the BB with QX last night and arriving at the apiary armed to the teeth I unloaded all the bits of kit and opened the hive to remove the combs. Had a quick look at the outside of the 1st comb and there she is....... bold as brass in the middle of the frame!
Popped her into a nuc with frames and bees, loaded the van and left them to it.
I'll knock down the cells to one next week.
That's beekeeping for you.

Woohoo, well done!
E

 

[beeno]

After making up the BB with QX last night and arriving at the apiary armed to the teeth I unloaded all the bits of kit and opened the hive to remove the combs. Had a quick look at the outside of the 1st comb and there she is....... bold as brass in the middle of the frame!
Popped her into a nuc with frames and bees, loaded the van and left them to it.
I'll knock down the cells to one next week.
That's beekeeping for you.

That's happened to me too. It is such a relief!