introducing a new queen

[islayhawk]

Looking to replace my Queen. What is the safest way to introduce a new one kn her cage. Should the old one be kept (and if so - how?) incase something goes wrong with the introduction. The old one is laying well but unfortunately is small and is getting through the QE and is laying in the super.

 

[Swarm]

Looking to replace my Queen. What is the safest way to introduce a new one kn her cage. Should the old one be kept (and if so - how?) incase something goes wrong with the introduction. The old one is laying well but unfortunately is small and is getting through the QE and is laying in the super.

Create a nucleus with a couple of frames of sealed/emerging brood and the usual stores frames. Allow half an hour for foragers to leave and introduce the cage with queen and attendants.
Introduce them to the other colony once the queen is laying. You could do the same with the original queen before you unite, as insurance.

 

[kevrhcfag]

Depends on your situation with kit and how you want to do it. Have you ordered / got the new queen yet?

As with anything in Beekeepers everybody has different opinions and their favourite methods.

There is the quick method, kill the queen stick the new one in her cage in the hive (you could leave it an hour or so). Doing it this way I would tend to leave the tab on for a couple of days.

If you have a nuc box make up a nuc with old queen. Then the choices depend on how you feel about handling the queen or not or how good you are at finding queen cells.

1. Follow as above.
2. Make up a nuc and leave hive queenless for 4 days or so, then go through every frame find every queen cell and destroy it. The put new queen in as above. Given she can get through an excluded you can't really limit her to a single brood box or part of for 4 or 5 days, this would give you the opportunity to take those frames she had access to which could make queen cells. You could cage her for 4 or 5 days if you are confident of catching and handling her. Try to leave only sealed brood with new queen.
3. Make a nuc up with new queen once laying and decent amount of bees remove old queen and unite, by preferred method.

If successful make sure you check, recheck and check again for Queen Cells because the bees dont always tear them down, otherwise you may find a nice new virgin has done in you bought queen.

 

[Stiffy]

Looking to replace my Queen. What is the safest way to introduce a new one kn her cage. Should the old one be kept (and if so - how?) incase something goes wrong with the introduction. The old one is laying well but unfortunately is small and is getting through the QE and is laying in the super.

If your old queen is laying well, why not just accept this and remove the excluder? She will 'probably' just lay into the first super and subsequent supers will be filled with stores. Many beeks no longer use excluders and let the bees find their own level, rather than trying to force them into a smaller box than the hive needs . This may also reduce the swarming of a colony.
S

 

[For want of a better word]

If your old queen is laying well, why not just accept this and remove the excluder? She will 'probably' just lay into the first super and subsequent supers will be filled with stores. Many beeks no longer use excluders and let the bees find their own level, rather than trying to force them into a smaller box than the hive needs . This may also reduce the swarming of a colony.
S

I am trialing the OBS Rose system without excluders.... two boxes equalls about std National brood plus 1/2.... as National size boxes everything fits!
I now have four different sizes of frames to play with!

Yeghes da

 

[enrico]

If your old queen is laying well, why not just accept this and remove the excluder? She will 'probably' just lay into the first super and subsequent supers will be filled with stores. Many beeks no longer use excluders and let the bees find their own level, rather than trying to force them into a smaller box than the hive needs . This may also reduce the swarming of a colony.
S

Many beeks don't use excluders!? A minority of beeks maybe! Not winding you up just commenting!
E

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Enrico, the number of commercial beekeepers who do not use Q. excluders is quite high. There are many such hives whereas the number of beekeepers who have a small no of hives and use excluders is quite high, but what the relative numbers are, I have no idea.

 

[Stiffy]

Enrico, the number of commercial beekeepers who do not use Q. excluders is quite high. There are many such hives whereas the number of beekeepers who have a small no of hives and use excluders is quite high, but what the relative numbers are, I have no idea.

I guess as a part time commercial beek, I was stating what I practice but still believe many are ditching the QX

I haven't stopped using them completely, as most hives I have I know the queens and how much space to give them but I have found that letting the hive grow to the size it wants without restricting it doesn't reduce the amount of honey I get. On the plus I have found by not using a QX it helps reduce the inclination for it to want to swarm.

The one exception I have found is with hives I was using for cut comb. Not sure if it was the excitement of their own drawn out wax but each time the queen decided to lay in it.....blxxxy nuisance! I now choose the hives carefully or use a QX on them.
Going back to the original question re-queening, if she is laying well as the OP states but is small, I would just remove the QX and let her get on with it. Why go to the expense and trouble introducing, if there is a problem with her, the hive will decide and supersede.
S

 

[Millet]

I'm only into my 3rd season but i stopped using the Queen excluder after i kept seeing dead bees stuck in it, the Queen from this hive did lay a small proportion of brood in the super above the brood box but i do not mind, them frames can be left for the bees in winter, however it did not stop any swarming urges.

 

[Quis Custodiet]

It is difficult to quantify, but not using a QX has increased the quantity of honey and almost certainly reduced swarming. Incidentally Stiffy's post is a good one and worth reflecting on.

 

[islayhawk]

Ok - my acquisition of a new Queen fell through so I will have to persevere with her Majesty for the time being. So I think I will do as has been suggested ie remove QE. Thanks everyone for the various suggestions.

 

[Beefriendly]

Some whisky trivia...last time I visited the mothballed Springbank distillery I found they named their Springbank after a tin nissan hut used as boy scout/ youth club nearby.....and their Longrow Whisky is named after a I oval grocers store Annie's of Longrow.