Introducing a queen to a broodless hive

[Floyd]

Is this possible. If not looks like I will be an ex-beekeeper as the previos queen introduction failed.

Any suggestions as always greatly appreciated

 

[Pete D]

First need to establish if its queenless and not just broodless.
Test frame is the way to go with this, ask a nearby beekeeper for a frame with eggs and young larvae. Check it a few days later, if queenless they will make emergency cells, break them down and then introduce your queen via a cage and follow the normal drill, oh and be patient before releasing her.
If they ignore the introduced brood frame and just rear it you have a duff queen somewhere. She needs to be found and destroyed before any introduction.
Good luck

 

[itma]

... if queenless they will make emergency cells, break them down and then introduce your queen via a cage and follow the normal drill, oh and be patient before releasing her. ...

If they were so hopelessly queenless that you have laying workers, then also they probably won't make emergency cells on the test frame, but you'd have noticed the situation - and it would be dead serious if its your only hive.


If/when introducing Q to a mob that have been Q- for a while, as Pete D suggests, she needs to be kept in the cage until you think it is safe to release her - don't just use a fondant/candy plug.
You can be a bit more trusting if they have only been Q- for an hour or so, otherwise the safer thing to do is to introduce Q to a nuc, then unite the Q+ nuc to the Q- colony.
However that doesn't sound possible for you, so a highly protected introduction is called for. See if you can give Q a refuge (with food) in her Q cage where she can escape from being nibbled until the residents have got used to the idea of her pheromones, and you decide that they can release her.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If/when introducing Q to a mob that have been Q- for a while, as Pete D suggests, she needs to be kept in the cage until you think it is safe to release her - don't just use a fondant/candy plug.

Leave her in the cage for as long as possible before they can get at her, I just cover the candy with a bit of stout tape (insulation tape is good - i've seen them eat through masking tape in no time)

See if you can give Q a refuge (with food) in her Q cage where she can escape from being nibbled until the residents have got used to the idea of her pheromones, and you decide that they can release her.

The Jz-Bz cage is ideal - has an area at the plug end where she can get away from unneccessary attention (and feed from the candy if needs be, unless you leave the atendants in) You can also get a little cap to go over the candy plug so the bees in the hive can't get at it

 

[Mothman]

Just a thought but would wrapping the cage ( or possibly part of the cage) in newspaper slow things down and protect the queen for longer?

 

[itma]

Just a thought but would wrapping the cage ( or possibly part of the cage) in newspaper slow things down and protect the queen for longer?

It'll slow them down, a bit.

But the idea is to STOP them until you decide that the time is right ... then you can let them chew through paper and/or fondant/candy to get together properly.

 

[Finman]

.
Like Pete says. put first a larva frame into the hive. If they do not make queen cells, it has some queen there.

 

[Finman]

Just a thought but would wrapping the cage ( or possibly part of the cage) in newspaper slow things down and protect the queen for longer?

If the hive has queen, it surely kills the new one or violate it. It tears atenna or toes off.

 

[AndyTh]

Are there any other clues as to whether the colony is truly without a virgin or other duff queen? 2 hives of mine went Q- and it was obvious something wasn't right as they were right bu**ers as soon as the crown board was off, and they would not react to the smoker!

There wasn't any robbing and little wasp activity at the time so they were telling me something!

The frame of eggs test worked to show queen cell building, so introduced 2 queens in standard butler cages with newspaper plug and 2 days later successfully accepted. The behaviour took a bit longer to settle down, but now safely at the heather.

Good luck whatever you decide; egg test is a good recommendation, though.

 

[itma]

Can I just chip in that I don't actually think its "eggs" that are needed on the test frame.
Tiny, tiny, tiny larvae are what you want. Newly hatched from the egg.
Eggs can be removed as "not our queen's" by worker policing. Not really likely after they have hatched.
However, it would be very unusual to have a frame with only eggs, with none of them hatched into larvae. But its actually baby, newly hatched larvae, rather than eggs that you really want on your test frame.
Emergency QCs can be built on larvae at least two days old.

 

[Finman]

.
Queen can be reared from 3 days old larvae, because larvae are feeded with royal jelly during first 3 days.

If the frame has tiny larvae, they have eggs too- But bees start to rear emercengy cells from 2-3 days old larvae.

 

[Roola]

.
Queen can be reared from 3 days old larvae, because larvae are feeded with royal jelly during first 3 days.

If the frame has tiny larvae, they have eggs too- But bees start to rear emercengy cells from 2-3 days old larvae.

Out of interest, what's the oldest a larvae can be to still be fed royal jelly and become a queen?