How long will a colony give a virgin queen to mate?

[BMH]

Cells are polished on 2 frames. The rest are jam packed of stores.

I have zero hope for the the duff virgin, but am curious as to why the bees wont make fresh queen cells when given eggs.

 

[B+.]

Cells are polished on 2 frames. The rest are jam packed of stores.

I have zero hope for the the duff virgin, but am curious as to why the bees wont make fresh queen cells when given eggs.

Sometimes they can't get it into their heads that they have a duff queen. Just like when they stay with a dead queen you have squished and thrown in the bushes. The pheromones control their behaviour.
You could try shaking all the bees off the frames and put a QE over the entrance. That should stop a virgin getting back in.
That being said, I had a runt kill a batch of cells...she was only slightly longer than a worker. I was so pleased when I found her (and squished her).

 

[BMH]

I've tried that before adding the mated queen/2nd frame.

She's getting through the excluder

 

[B+.]

I've tried that before adding the mated queen/2nd frame.

She's getting through the excluder

Have you tried moving the nuc?
I mean...if she tries going into another hive that is queenright, they'll kill her...problem solved! The workers reinforce a different hive so are useful. Remake the nuc for your queen with frames of sealed brood.

 

[BMH]

That's a good shout.

Ill give that a go!

 

[john t]

have you tried moving the nuc to one side away from its original position and put another in its place to collect the fliers, and then inspect it after an hour,
that should make it easier to find the queen

 

[Finman]

have you tried moving the nuc to one side away from its original position and put another in its place to collect the fliers, and then inspect it after an hour,
that should make it easier to find the queen

movement of bees takes 2-3 days

 

[john t]

movement of bees takes 2-3 days

maybe you misunderstand me, this is only to clear enough bees from the nuc to make it easier to spot the queen,

waiting an hour will clear enough flying bees from the nuc and make it less congested , after the inspection you then remove the spare box and replace the nuc in its original position

 

[Finman]

maybe you misunderstand me, this is only to clear enough bees from the nuc to make it easier to spot the queen,

waiting an hour will clear enough flying bees from the nuc and make it less congested , after the inspection you then remove the spare box and replace the nuc in its original position

I know what you mean. IT does not happen in an hour. Believe me, or not.

 

[john t]

I know what you mean. IT does not happen in an hour. Believe me, or not.

for the last 35 years this method has worked well for me, it also helps if you pick a time of day when there are lots of flying bees,

the fact is if you move a hive from its original position, within a few minutes all the flying bees and any returning from the field will return to that original position,
so im not sure why you are saying it takes 2 to 3 days

 

[Finman]

for the last 35 years this method has worked well for me

so im not sure why you are saying it takes 2 to 3 days

I have 53 y experience. That is why.

I am good to find queens with bare eye. I have not used that method, actually.

 

[john t]

I have 53 y experience. That is why.

so you are saying it will take 2 to 3 days to clear the flying bees umm

question :- when a bee flies from the hive where will it return too ?

 

[Finman]

question :- when a bee flies from the hive where will it return too ?

IT depends on the time of day, when you do the act. Home bees come out 14-15 a'clock. If next day is rainy or cold, no one come out. On good day foragers fly all the time.

I have done lots of artificial swarms during decades and I know enough, how fast bees change the hive.

But if your method works in a hour, that is fine then.

 

[john t]

IT depends on the time of day, when you do the act. Home bees come out 14-15 a'clock. If next day is rainy or cold, no one come out. On good day foragers fly all the time.

I have done lots of artificial swarms during decades and I know enough, how fast bees change the hive.

But if your method works in a hour, that is fine then.

Finman , maybe my original reply should have been more detailed to avoid confusion, we are opening and disrupting the hive, not just moving them to the side

the object is to help the OP to locate the queen in the troubled nuc, what i suggest is a simple way of bleeding off the flying bees making it easier to spot the queen if she is indeed in the hive,

1, you look in the nuc or hive for the queen and if you fail to find her you
2, move the nuc away from the original position and place a spare box at its position and wait an hour (pick a time when there are lots of flying bees)
3, you then go through each frame again looking for the queen, there should be less bees, and as you disturb each frame, the flying bees will return to the original position ,making it a lot easier for those of us who have trouble spotting our queens
4 when you have been through all the frames and hopefully located the queen, you replace the nuc in its original position, open the spare box and shake the bees out, they will again return to the nuc at the original position

note ;pick a time of day when there are lots of flying bees, waiting an hour is not always necessary even 5 -10 minutes works .

 

[Finman]

Finman , maybe my original reply should have been more detailed to avoid confusion, we are opening and disrupting the hive, not just moving them to the side

the object is to help the OP to locate the queen in the troubled nuc, what i suggest is a simple way of bleeding off the flying bees making it easier to spot the queen if she is indeed in the hive,

1, you look in the nuc or hive for the queen and if you fail to find her you
2, move the nuc away from the original position and place a spare box at its position and wait an hour (pick a time when there are lots of flying bees)
3, you then go through each frame again looking for the queen, there should be less bees, and as you disturb each frame, the flying bees will return to the original position ,making it a lot easier for those of us who have trouble spotting our queens
4 when you have been through all the frames and hopefully located the queen, you replace the nuc in its original position, open the spare box and shake the bees out, they will again return to the nuc at the original position

note ;pick a time of day when there are lots of flying bees, waiting an hour is not always necessary even 5 -10 minutes works .

Smart. When I look a Queen from a nuc, I do not fail. At least I have not failed.

Nothing confusion if I must find a non laying Queen and replace it with new. Very simple job.

 

[Finman]

.
One way...

We have 3 box hive, and impossible to find the Queen.

Split each box separate. Within 2 hours bees become nervous in such box which does not have Queen. Bees come out from entrance and seek the Queen around on hive Wall.

Box which has the Queen, stays calm.