Plan for introducing new Queen

[BernardBlack]

Mated Queen arriving tomorrow.

I removed Queen from hive today.
Put her in a nuc, for backup.

Will introduce new Queen tomorrow.
Thought the hive being Queenless for 24 hours, might help colony more likely to accept her.

Keep plug on cage for a couple of days.
Release plug, allow workers to remove fondant and release new Queen.

Should work... shouldn’t it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

New queen in as soon as the old is killed or hopelessly queen less is better. Check for queen cells thoroughly when you put her in and when you take the tab out

 

[oliver90owner]

Also, if possible, observe how the bees are treating the queen before letting her loose (or allowing the bees to attack her).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

New queen in as soon as the old is killed

 

[BernardBlack]

Also, if possible, observe how the bees are treating the queen before letting her loose (or allowing the bees to attack her).

Yes, put her in today. Safety tab still on. Will have a peek tomorrow.

What signs should I look for that they’re happy/mad with her?

 

[Erichalfbee]

What signs should I look for that they’re happy/mad with her?

If they are happy with her you can see some bees might be trying to feed her. The bees will be calm on the cage and you will be able to brush them off easily. Sometimes you might see one or two fanning on the cage.
If they are aggressive they will be clustered tightly on the cage trying to bite it. It will be difficult to dislodge them

 

[BernardBlack]

If they are happy with her you can see some bees might be trying to feed her. The bees will be calm on the cage and you will be able to brush them off easily. Sometimes you might see one or two fanning on the cage.
If they are aggressive they will be clustered tightly on the cage trying to bite it. It will be difficult to dislodge them

I see.

If they are aggressive towards her, will more time in the cage help them get used to her being there? And therefore, accept her?

I read somewhere that sometimes a Queen might be better left in the cage for up to a week, if the bees seem aggressive towards her.... leaving her inside might delay progress of the colony, but better that, than a dead queen.

I’m open to the advantages and disadvantages of delaying her release.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes put the cage back for a couple of days....checking again for more queen cells
I don't like to see that type of aggression because I think the bees will pretty quickly accept her or not. If I see that I rethink my plans, either put her into a push in cage or start again and make a nuc up for her

 

[user 819]

Similar to Dani in out at much the same time, possibly mask the new Q with a dunk of honey and watch the reactions to her whilst leaving her on the top bars or a pieces of card.

 

[BernardBlack]

If they are happy with her you can see some bees might be trying to feed her. The bees will be calm on the cage and you will be able to brush them off easily. Sometimes you might see one or two fanning on the cage.
If they are aggressive they will be clustered tightly on the cage trying to bite it. It will be difficult to dislodge them

Checked today. Quite a number on the cage. Around the holes at front/rear, a few bees sat still, either feeding or trying to taste her. A number of others moving around too.

The colony did seem a little more cranky than usual though. Although maybe that’s to do with more of them being indoors because of the damp weather? (or the rise in wasp numbers).

4 QC’s started too. Tore them down.

 

[BernardBlack]

4 charged QC’s today (which I tore down).

Still bees around the cage.

Colony less cranky today.

The youngest Brood will now be 4 days old, so surely that means they can’t try to make any more QC’s... because QC’s can’t be started on 4 day old Brood?

And if I’ve got that right... will that mean, they will have no choice but to accept the new Queen in the cage... ??

 

[Foxylad]

6 days

 

[BernardBlack]

6 days

They can start Queen cells on 6 day old Brood???

 

[Foxylad]

They can start Queen cells on 6 day old Brood???

if queenless they can build queen cells up to 6 days after the queen of removed

 

[Erichalfbee]

They can start Queen cells on 6 day old Brood???

Yes. 3 day old larvae.

 

[BernardBlack]

Yes. 3 day old larvae.

Never knew that. I thought the latest they could start making a Queen from, was a 3 day old egg (before the first moult).

 

[oliver90owner]

Never knew that. I thought the latest they could start making a Queen from, was a 3 day old egg (before the first moult).

Now you do - and that might save you from losing a swarm, if you ever knock down queen cells, after only 3 or 4 days! Think about it - it is why test frames should have both eggs and young larvae. It is why the first capped emergency cells are likely to turn out as scrubby queens..

 

[BernardBlack]

Opened tab yesterday on cage so should know in a day or so, how the introduction went.

If they don’t accept/take to her when she gets out of the cage, how long would the bees tolerate her for? Might she be killed straightaway? Or within hours? Days?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Opened tab yesterday on cage so should know in a day or so, how the introduction went.

If they don’t accept/take to her when she gets out of the cage, how long would the bees tolerate her for? Might she be killed straightaway? Or within hours? Days?

I have had a queen lay and then the bees bumped her off to raise their own. They even did that to a queen released from a push in cage and lovingly accepted before my eyes!!
I look in a week so it could happen straightaway or a week later. Mind you. Stupid beds if they do it immediately!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Opened tab yesterday on cage so should know in a day or so, how the introduction went.

Don’t look for a week. Looking any earlier risks the bees balling the new queen and killing her even if she has been accepted