Killed My Queen

[Swift Nick]

Opened one of my hives to discover a queen cell with lava this afternoon and plenty of drones, the colony is an ex swarm and very large, overwintering on a 14x12 BB and a nadired super.
I decided to split the hive and use the Wally Shaw Snelgrove 2 method.
I put the queen in a hair clip type cage whilst making the changes & moving the kit around. Unfortunately I crushed the queen when releasing her, the clip slipped in my gloves and snapped shut, I was distraught, but I have to move on and do the best thing.
So now I have the original hive in a new position, with 8 original frames, lots of brood & eggs and house bees, lots of pollen and some stored “honey” probably from winter feed syrup and 3 frames of foundation. I think there is one queen cell in this hive.
I have the new hive in the old position collecting the flying bees, with 3 frames of brood with some eggs and 8 frames of foundation and the nadired super above a queen excluder. The nadired super has quite a bit of drone brood, can the drones get down through the QE? I am going to feed this hive with 1:1 syrup as they will be short of stores.
Hopefully the hives will develop queens and they will get mated.
It was a massive mistake to make, I did inspect my other two hives without issue, queens laying and safe.
I am just interested in getting the best from a bad situation, are there any suggestions about how I have left the hives, is it best to leave it as I have or should I have put them back in one hive? I would prefer to leave as two hives if possible.
Thanks Nick

 

[Poly Hive]

I'll guarantee one thing you won't make that mistake again. Things that can spring shut are not in my toolkit.

Drones cannot pass through excluders.

There are mated queens available it was mentioned earlier this week so why not buy one and speed matters up?

PH

 

[Brigsy]

Opened one of my hives to discover a queen cell with lava this afternoon and plenty of drones, the colony is an ex swarm and very large, overwintering on a 14x12 BB and a nadired super.
I decided to split the hive and use the Wally Shaw Snelgrove 2 method.
I put the queen in a hair clip type cage whilst making the changes & moving the kit around. Unfortunately I crushed the queen when releasing her, the clip slipped in my gloves and snapped shut, I was distraught, but I have to move on and do the best thing.
So now I have the original hive in a new position, with 8 original frames, lots of brood & eggs and house bees, lots of pollen and some stored “honey” probably from winter feed syrup and 3 frames of foundation. I think there is one queen cell in this hive.
I have the new hive in the old position collecting the flying bees, with 3 frames of brood with some eggs and 8 frames of foundation and the nadired super above a queen excluder. The nadired super has quite a bit of drone brood, can the drones get down through the QE? I am going to feed this hive with 1:1 syrup as they will be short of stores.
Hopefully the hives will develop queens and they will get mated.
It was a massive mistake to make, I did inspect my other two hives without issue, queens laying and safe.
I am just interested in getting the best from a bad situation, are there any suggestions about how I have left the hives, is it best to leave it as I have or should I have put them back in one hive? I would prefer to leave as two hives if possible.
Thanks Nick

Maybe they were trying to supercede her and you sped the process up! (Trying to put a positive spin on it!)

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

 

[Swift Nick]

I'll guarantee one thing you won't make that mistake again. Things that can spring shut are not in my toolkit.

Drones cannot pass through excluders.

There are mated queens available it was mentioned earlier this week so why not buy one and speed matters up?

PH

Do you know where the mated queens are available from?

Thanks Nick

 

[Angry_Mob]

BS Honey Bees - Buckfast Queen - £33

 

[Swift Nick]

BS Honey Bees - Buckfast Queen - £33

Thanks

 

[denise washington]

BS Honey have got some in got one myself on tues order before 8am get it next day

 

[Swift Nick]

BS Honey have got some in got one myself on tues order before 8am get it next day

Thank you, have just ordered a couple.

 

[Erichalfbee]

BS Honey Bees - Buckfast Queen - £33

Just out of interest. Do you know where they are coming from?

 

[Angry_Mob]

Just out of interest. Do you know where they are coming from?

On the page it says imported from Greece and Italy.

 

[mickbees23]

On the page it says imported from Greece and Italy.

That's a long way from Buckfast Abbey...LOL

 

[birdsandbees]

That's a long way from Buckfast Abbey...LOL

and at that price more than likely just first generation cross breeds between Carniolan and Ligustica.

I've had a few myself year before last, couple were okay but others weren't very nice!