How long will eggs survive?

[timallen]

My colony may be queenless and I have been recommended to beg a frame of eggs from another bee keeper to add to the hive so they can create a new queen. My question is how long can a frame of eggs survive out of the hive and how should I transport them? Any other advice on adding the frame to my hive would be very welcome!

 

[Thymallus]

Take it out, put in car, drive to hive and place inside. No need to do anything special. Some will tell you wrap in damp towels, keep warm ect. No real need.

 

[Millet]

Take it out, put in car, drive to hive and place inside. No need to do anything special. Some will tell you wrap in damp towels, keep warm ect. No real need.

I 100% agree with you. lol ..

 

[For want of a better word]

Firstly you need a frame of brood that has 3 day old larvae... not just laid up with eggs.

I use a carrybox ( in fact a Paynes Polly Nuc) with a couple of warm food cooler/warmer bottle thingies in ... plus a damp warm towel ( I also like to have a thermometer in the box set at 34 degrees with alarm for over and under temp)
I usually put frame of eggs, larvae and brood ( But NO BEES!) between two frames to support it.

Of course this method is not really required if moving frames between colonies in the same apiary... but I have found it essential when moving frames the length of Cornwall ( which in grockel season can take a couple or more hours)

Yeghes da

 

[Thymallus]

one should use whatever complex methods one feels is required, despite them being totally unnecessary. Even over half a day I've never had any problems with eggs or larvae, apart for the obvious with larvae such as not sticking them in direct sunlight to dry out.

 

[For want of a better word]

one should use whatever complex methods one feels is required, despite them being totally unnecessary. Even over half a day I've never had any problems with eggs or larvae, apart for the obvious with larvae such as not sticking them in direct sunlight to dry out.

Must be a lot of humidity and hot air in your neck of the woods!

Yeghes da

 

[Thymallus]

OP was talking about eggs, which are pretty dehydration resistant. If you need to, you can store a frame of eggs in the fridge overnight with no harm done. They are basically bullet proof and will still hatch when returned to hive!
Simple biology will tell you that insect larval development is temperature and time related. Dropping the larval temperature from the optimal for several hours only slows the development down and has no adverse effects of their subsequent development when returned to optimal temperatures. Unless significantly lower temps are maintained for several days.
This is why I never bother taking any extra laborious steps when moving frames with larvae or eggs.

 

[Pollen]

I was with a friend doing this (he was running a beginners' course at the time which made it very interesting) and we got a frame from his home a mile or so away. He made sure the bees were off it and then put it under his jacket to give it some body heat.