help please! queen introduction

[zippy573]

how long do you have to wait after making a nuc before you can introduce a new queen! My friend (not me honest) has purchased a new queen in the belief that his swarm queen had failed to mate. new queen arrived today and his swarm queen is now laying. Supplementary question is how long can you leave queen that arrived in post in your kitchen with out introduce her.

thanks

 

[For want of a better word]

1 give her a drink of water
2 dose he or she want a known queen... ie purchased one or happy with unknown mongrel
3 make a decision
4 if happy with mongrel give purchased queen to someone who can make up a nuc for her ASAP
5 if wants to requeen, find old queen and dispose of( give away?) leave nuc for a couple of hours??? stick grass in entrance, place new queen in cage with attendants between frames for 24 hours, before unsealing candy plug. leave and look later... ?? days
she will be accepted and hopefully laying her own brood.... look for eggs.


6 may others much more knowledgelageable than me will fill in the detail!!!


where is that book of spells???

 

[Bee-Key-Pur]

I’m reading a book at the moment, all be it an old one.
A method they used back then was to wet down the bees in the hive. Then with the queen in a match box and open just a touch, completely submerge the match box and queen in Luke warm water for a short time. Then let her out in to the hive.
It says in the book that the bees take pity on her and as a result accept her.

Has anyone tried this method this day and age?

Brian

 

[RosieMc]

I’m reading a book at the moment, all be it an old one.
A method they used back then was to wet down the bees in the hive. Then with the queen in a match box and open just a touch, completely submerge the match box and queen in Luke warm water for a short time. Then let her out in to the hive.
It says in the book that the bees take pity on her and as a result accept her.

Has anyone tried this method this day and age?

Brian

Hmmm, interesting. It sounds like a variation of a queen introduction cage and uniting by the newspaper method. I presume that as the match box is wet it is easier for the bees to eat through it and free the queen. By introduction this way the bees have got used to her smell.