Hive from hell - suggestions please...

[Queens59]

Decided to transfer a frame of eggs to a Q- hive from hell - went through all my hives...and not an egg in sight. Every frame has sealed brood, no larvae and no eggs! I hate this year...BUT, every hive has a queen.

Checked the hive from hell and it is 100% Q-. The second you disturb the Brood box you are smothered with bees stinging. Counted +40 stings on the suit.

Tempted to buy a virgin to run in, just so I don't have to open it again - Any other thoughts?

 

[BeeNice]

Combine! good luck, it makes you a better beekeeper having horrid bees, but will calm down after the combination. Don't buy a virgin, always a mated queen, the virgin does not have a good chance of mating this year.
Steven

 

[Queens59]

They had a queen because they had been combined with a small colony I had. They allowed her to lay and then killed her off, but haven't made a QC from the eggs...

 

[Finman]

.
Now you have a good motive to run your 100 yards running record!
Run to opposite wind that record will be accepted officially.

 

[Poly Hive]

I would suggest a test frame as going Q- is rare.

PH

 

[Queens59]

I wanted to put in a test frame PH - but all the other hives (which are Queenright) have all got sealed brood - and nothing else. They are just not laying eggs. I introduced a new queen a few days ago, so as soon as she starts I may be able to steal some - but I only released her 2 days ago.

 

[itma]

I would suggest a test frame as going Q- is rare.

PH

If you can't come up with one yourself, is there a nearby trusted apiarist that you could beg one from?

Being eggless, I wonder if your other hives have any pollen stores? My SBI was saying recently that he has seen many hives short of pollen this year, to the point of restricting brooding.

 

[m100]

Do they have enough accesible stores?

Pick a day when they are all flying and preferably fetching some nectar back. Move hive from hell a few metres from orignal location, move other hives so as to occupy position somewhere within 3ft of hive from hell and let all the fliers from the hive from hell drift and occupy the other colonies. A few days later combine over newspaper to one of the other hives giving more strong hives going into winter. A virgin now will not produce new foragers until late August even if it gets mated quickly. One strong colony is always better than two or three weak ones.

 

[Queens59]

If you can't come up with one yourself, is there a nearby trusted apiarist that you could beg one from?

Being eggless, I wonder if your other hives have any pollen stores? My SBI was saying recently that he has seen many hives short of pollen this year, to the point of restricting brooding.

That could be an issue. They are bringing in pollen - but there sn't really any stored...they seem to be using it as they find it. I feel a purchase coming on...

I could unite with another hive, but am worried they will simply kill off that queen too - as they have with 2 already...

 

[Poly Hive]

No point in uniting a virgin to a laying queen... recipe for disaster.

One always has to know for sure the suspect unit is in reality queenless.


If sure, 100% sure then unite. But not before.

PH

 

[DanBee]

Pollen scarcity is becoming a problem in some apiaries.

Feeding with a steady supply of syrup despite the weather might stimulate laying if done for a week. A little and often being better than a bucketful in one go. It might also free some nectar foragers for pollen foraging on the rare dry days.

 

[Queens59]

Thanks Danbee - I'll give it a try.

 

[susbees]

Pollen scarcity is becoming a problem in some apiaries.

Feeding with a steady supply of syrup despite the weather might stimulate laying if done for a week. A little and often being better than a bucketful in one go. It might also free some nectar foragers for pollen foraging on the rare dry days.

And if it doesn't then short lived workers or nothing to feed larvae with. What a year . Had one hive abort swarm preps here last week....larvae removed from part pulled QCs...indentations visible.

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Queens59]

I had just started to think I knew what I was doing (apart from the occasional blip...) and then I get a year where the bees aren't just ignoring the books - they are rewriting them !!!

 

[Andy Duff]

Our best producing but usually very grumpy hive went Q- fortunately we had a 6 frame nuc of good natured but hungry bees going spare, I combined the 2 and things are looking good, as they are now much better natured.

 

[Queens59]

Oh I wish...they have already destroyed their own and another queen...after uniting with a small but queenright swarm...

 

[AMAE]

Our experiences with a mad hive might be instructive.

If you are going to merge them, they have to be "desperately queenless". We started from a slightly different position, as we found the queen.

Week one: old queen killed
Week two: hive throroughly inspected, every queen cell torn down
Week three: merged with a calm nuc.
Week four - left alone
Week five: eggs spotted, no sign of the queen
Week six: supercedure cell - they killed her.

Beg or borrow a test frame, if it generates queen cells, tear them down and merge.

 

[Queens59]

Thanks AMAE - They were truly "desperately queenless" when I first united. They came from a chimney - from an 80+ yr colony.

I only kept them because of the interest in chimney colonies & varroa. So far? A pain in the proverbial...We shall see.

 

[Andy Duff]

Oh I wish...they have already destroyed their own and another queen...after uniting with a small but queenright swarm...

I honestly admire your enthusiasm and determination, but perhaps the bee gene pool might be better off without this lot and what is going on is a bit of natural selection.