How long to leave a hive to re-queen itself?

[Otbed]

I'd be grateful for some advice please from you much more experienced beekeepers.

I have a hive in which I found the Queen dead on the OMF during an inspection. During the inspection I'd already found 3 charged open QC's but no eggs but there were some very tiny larvae. The week before (exactly 7 days) everything was normal (ie eggs/larvae/sealed brood and an active Queen caught laying an egg!) so I assume she'd been laying after the previous inspection but had died suddenly (because of the very tiny larvae present). On 7th May I left the hive with one good looking sealed QC, and no more eggs/larvae, and left them alone to re-Queen themselves until today (4 weeks 3 days). The hive is today still without eggs/larvae and I didn't see a queen but there are still a large number of bees present over all the frames. I also noticed that the bees have stopped working in the super and have essentially stuffed all brood frames with lots of stores - I removed 2 very old frames and replaced them with foundation principally to give them something to work on should a new Queen need space to lay.

My question is how long really should I wait before just buying and introducing a Queen? I'm aware of the danger of doing this if there is actually a Queen already present and I have used a forum search and hoisted in the advice to wait 4/5 weeks to see evidence of a new Queen, but I'm worried about the reduction from now on in colony size. I don't want the population to fall off the cliff edge.
Thank you.

 

[Wilco]

Had the QC emerged?

Put in a frame of eggs from another hive if you can.

If they make queen cells you know they're queenless so can either let them be or buy in a queen.

 

[Bazzer]

I'd be grateful for some advice please from you much more experienced beekeepers.

I have a hive in which I found the Queen dead on the OMF during an inspection. During the inspection I'd already found 3 charged open QC's but no eggs but there were some very tiny larvae. The week before (exactly 7 days) everything was normal (ie eggs/larvae/sealed brood and an active Queen caught laying an egg!) so I assume she'd been laying after the previous inspection but had died suddenly (because of the very tiny larvae present). On 7th May I left the hive with one good looking sealed QC, and no more eggs/larvae, and left them alone to re-Queen themselves until today (4 weeks 3 days). The hive is today still without eggs/larvae and I didn't see a queen but there are still a large number of bees present over all the frames. I also noticed that the bees have stopped working in the super and have essentially stuffed all brood frames with lots of stores - I removed 2 very old frames and replaced them with foundation principally to give them something to work on should a new Queen need space to lay.

My question is how long really should I wait before just buying and introducing a Queen? I'm aware of the danger of doing this if there is actually a Queen already present and I have used a forum search and hoisted in the advice to wait 4/5 weeks to see evidence of a new Queen, but I'm worried about the reduction from now on in colony size. I don't want the population to fall off the cliff edge.
Thank you.

The time taken depends on the weather to a large extent - if it is very good it can be faster but 4-5 weeks is in the normal range. Also when a new queen starts laying it can be in quite small patches so can be difficult to spot. If you can get hold of a frame of BIAS and add it in you will see if queenless and if not the young emerging bees will speed up the laying of the new queen

 

[jeff33]

I made a colony quenless on May 9th and introduced a frame of bias Saturday as I couldn't see a queen or eggs. I looked yesterday and to my surprise no Qcs were made on the frame. However, the adjacent frame was full of eggs and sure enough, I spotted the new queen. Sometimes a frame of bias will kick them into action. Try it to see what is what.

 

[Otbed]

Thanks for the replies. Yes the QC did emerge, it's clear to see the cut open base. Based on your advice I will leave it another week or so (the colony is still strong) since the weather has been hit and miss a bit lately and then check with a frame of bias from another colony I've just moved into a hive from a nuc box. They have expanded rapidly so should be strong enough to lose a frame. Frame size is wrong, the queenless colony being 14*12 and the new one national but I guess the bees will just add comb to the national frame if it's left in.
Thanks for the replies, I'll stop worrying and hope there is a new Queen next week. If not I know what to do. Thanks.

 

[Otbed]

And to wrap this up and thank you again for your advice, with bated breath I opened them again today - and could hardly believe it when I started seeing eggs and loads of young larvae over 3 frames. Phew!! I didn't see the new queen but the very chilled reception from the bees told me all's well so I had just a quick check through and left them to it. I'll catch her next week hopefully, yellow marker in hand! Nearly 6 weeks from leaving the sealed QC!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Great news

 

[Dutchman]

It always pays to be patient, I just found a nuc fully laid up with eggs but it was 7 weeks from the day I made the split, of the other 6 that I made on the same day 4 started laying 3 weeks ago and 2 started laying 2 weeks ago, so I had nearly given up.