Introducing new queen.

[Plytek]

Hi all.

I need a bit of advice.
Have over wintered two Langstroth hives (started last year with nucs). In one hive bees are very nice, but in the other are very defensive. Been planing to change a queen for a while so I have ordered Buckfast queen from Laurence (coming next week) but they already starter preparing to swarm. Yesterday I have found few queen cells, two with royal jelly so I have decided to remove all cells and kill queen. Will go back next week (at the day 8) and remove all new queen cells.
Will it be OK to introduce new queen at the end of next week?
Will they not swarm straight away?

Thanks

 

[Finman]

Hi all.

I need a bit of advice.
Have over wintered two Langstroth hives (started last year with nucs). In one hive bees are very nice, but in the other are very defensive. Been planing to change a queen for a while so I have ordered Buckfast queen from Laurence (coming next week) but they already starter preparing to swarm. Yesterday I have found few queen cells, two with royal jelly so I have decided to remove all cells and kill queen. Will go back next week (at the day 8) and remove all new queen cells.
Will it be OK to introduce new queen at the end of next week?
Will they not swarm straight away?

Thanks

You must be faster and make an artificial swarm. First thing is to cut their swarming fewer.

 

[jeff33]

Why oh why would you remove all Qcs and kill the queen at the same time? If they don't accept her you have sent that hive to it's death. You really need to start thinking a bit more about options and understanding bee behaviour before manipulations of this type.

I would keep a nice cell from the new batch they will make and the day before your new queen arrive make a small nuc with capped brood or brood too old for them to make Qcs out of. leave it in the same apiary so all flyers go back to the original hive and you can introduce the queen to a nuc of nurse bees which may accept her more easily.

Other option, still make the nuc as above, remove all EQcs from the main hive in 7 days and add a frame of bias from your other hive for them to raise a queen from.
That way you have a few options in case one fails.

 

[Plytek]

Have killed queen and removed cells as they are not behave well and I prefer to use frame of BIAS from another hive.
Assuming it is possible to merge hives later on using newspaper, right? To be honest I don't have a space for three hives in my garden.

 

[ericbeaumont]

decided to remove all cells and kill queen

By killing the queen you have removed her pheromone and emergency queen cells will appear among the swarm cells.

When you remove the last cells in 7 days time your defensive colony may be very unpleasant to check, because you must shake bees off every frame to check for QCs.

Try this next time: cage the queen; remove all QCs; hang the cage between two top bars and leave for a week, then remove any further QCs by shaking and checking frames; remove the cage and give the bees a frame of BIAS from a good colony.

By leaving the queen and her pheromones in the colony (but unable to lay eggs) you will prevent EQCs and give them no option, when you do remove and kill her, but to use the frame of BIAS given to make a new queen. At this point the absence of her pheromone will produce EQCs using good-tempered genetics. Use spare QCs a week later to make up nucs if you wish.

I agree with Jeff: make up a nuc, allow the old flyers to return to the hive, feed the nuc syrup, introduce your new BMH queen and hope they accept her.

 

[Plytek]

As you are suggesting I'll make a nuc and introduce new queen to it.
Many Thanks for your help.

 

[ericbeaumont]

make a nuc

Yes.

 

[Mabee]

By killing the queen you have removed her pheromone and emergency queen cells will appear among the swarm cells.

When you remove the last cells in 7 days time your defensive colony may be very unpleasant to check, because you must shake bees off every frame to check for QCs.

Try this next time: cage the queen; remove all QCs; hang the cage between two top bars and leave for a week, then remove any further QCs by shaking and checking frames; remove the cage and give the bees a frame of BIAS from a good colony.

By leaving the queen and her pheromones in the colony (but unable to lay eggs) you will prevent EQCs and give them no option, when you do remove and kill her, but to use the frame of BIAS given to make a new queen. At this point the absence of her pheromone will produce EQCs using good-tempered genetics. Use spare QCs a week later to make up nucs if you wish.

I agree with Jeff: make up a nuc, allow the old flyers to return to the hive, feed the nuc syrup, introduce your new BMH queen and hope they accept her.

I started a thread about doing similar but this sounds much more straightforward