alynewbee
House Bee
- Joined
- Apr 11, 2011
- Messages
- 153
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Near Rotherham
- Hive Type
- 14x12
- Number of Hives
- 2
Hi All,
I think what I saw at today's inspection is probably ok, but I'd really appreciated the opinion of experience please.
It's 8 Days since I did a newspaper combine. They'd chomped through all the paper and no pile of dead bees around so think that bit went okl. The top brood box (which was the one I rendered queenless) had brood in all stages and lots of eggs, but I didn't see the queen up there. There were lots of empty queen cups. In the bottom box I didn't see any eggs or small larvae, but spotted one or two quite large larvae, and also, no queen. As I didn't see the queen I have taken a leap of faith that she is in the top box so I have put an QE between the two brood boxes. My reasoning in doing that is a) I've got a 50/50 chance of her being in the top box so all will be well (and also I only saw eggs in the top box) and b) if she isn't up there, I'll know at the next inspection cos I'll see eggs below and I'll have to cross that bridge at the next inspection. Reason it's important that she goes into a particular box is that I've got a 14 x 12 on the top and a national on the bottom and I really want to end up with just my 14 x 12.
I was a bit puzzled to see so many empty queen cups in the top box, but my thinking is that I made them queenless for a day or so till the new queen chewed through the paper so I suppose they would do that.
Is anyone horrified that I've bunged on a QE without being sure of where the queen is?
I'd really appreciate advice.
Many thanks
Alyson
I think what I saw at today's inspection is probably ok, but I'd really appreciated the opinion of experience please.
It's 8 Days since I did a newspaper combine. They'd chomped through all the paper and no pile of dead bees around so think that bit went okl. The top brood box (which was the one I rendered queenless) had brood in all stages and lots of eggs, but I didn't see the queen up there. There were lots of empty queen cups. In the bottom box I didn't see any eggs or small larvae, but spotted one or two quite large larvae, and also, no queen. As I didn't see the queen I have taken a leap of faith that she is in the top box so I have put an QE between the two brood boxes. My reasoning in doing that is a) I've got a 50/50 chance of her being in the top box so all will be well (and also I only saw eggs in the top box) and b) if she isn't up there, I'll know at the next inspection cos I'll see eggs below and I'll have to cross that bridge at the next inspection. Reason it's important that she goes into a particular box is that I've got a 14 x 12 on the top and a national on the bottom and I really want to end up with just my 14 x 12.
I was a bit puzzled to see so many empty queen cups in the top box, but my thinking is that I made them queenless for a day or so till the new queen chewed through the paper so I suppose they would do that.
Is anyone horrified that I've bunged on a QE without being sure of where the queen is?
I'd really appreciate advice.
Many thanks
Alyson