Mated queen wanted urgently

[Creuser69]

Hi

I have a small colony that is very small, yet still surviving.

I need to replace the queen as she is not laying.

Does anyone have a spare queen.

If in the south of England, I can collect.

Many thanks

Nigel

 

[Polyanwood]

Dear Nigel

I think you should say exactly how many bees there are. Sometimes what happens when colonies get really small is that the queen stops laying. This is because once they go below a critical mass, especially in cold weather like now, they just don't have the energy to keep the temperature up to the 35C they need for brood. I'm worried that even with a new queen, she will not lay if they are too small and you would be wasting your money.

How many frames are covered in bees? What type of frame? Compared to the size of your fist, is there say twice as many bees in volume or ten times as many or more?

Karin

 

[Creuser69]

Queen wanted urgently

Thanks for all of the messages I have received.

I got a queen from a beekeeper who had a spare, it was great to use her rather than let her die.

Fingers crossed it will sort the hive out.

 

[itma]

Hi

I have a small colony that is very small, yet still surviving.

I need to replace the queen as she is not laying.
...

...
I got a queen from a beekeeper who had a spare, ...

Fingers crossed it will sort the hive out.

I take it that you have moved them to an appropriately small nuc (or even mini-nuc), rather than leaving them in the cold of a full-sized hive?