Queenless ... Again :( . Anyone local have a spare?

[LJH]

It's just a final attempt at possibly saving my colony.

Long story, saw the queen on the front of the hive over 3 weeks ago, apparently back from a mating flight. Checked today to see progression and no queen, no eggs, no larvae, don't know what went wrong

Anyway, if there is someone local to me that has a spare/old/obsolete queen just lying around that they are going to dispatch or whatever, I would be very happy to give her a second lease of life within my hive.

If you can help, a PM would be fantastic. Can collect within 30 mins of the Wigan area. Not fussy age/laying ability/strain...

Many thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

Test frame first......don't forget. Oh....and what are the stores like?
Don't waste a good queen

 

[LJH]

It isn't the biggest of colonies to be fair, about 5 frames or so, so was easy to go through it.
I would try any queen to be honest. I definitely do not want to waste a good queen, just thought someone may have an old one lying around It's just a stab in the dark really before it gets too cold to do anything, that's all.
Stores wise, about one frame of capped honey. No pollen. No eggs, no brood. No other colony unfortunately, or would probably have tried a frame of eggs but would have to beg that from someone.
Thanks

 

[Eyeman]

Hi
Will be re queening some nucs next week so should have some spare queens.
Manchester close enough?
Alec

 

[LJH]

PM'd Eyeman thank you

 

[Erichalfbee]

 

[LJH]

bees4u - tried to PM - your inbox is full!

 

[haily]

It's just a final attempt at possibly saving my colony.

Long story, saw the queen on the front of the hive over 3 weeks ago, apparently back from a mating flight. Checked today to see progression and no queen, no eggs, no larvae, don't know what went wrong

Anyway, if there is someone local to me that has a spare/old/obsolete queen just lying around that they are going to dispatch or whatever, I would be very happy to give her a second lease of life within my hive.

If you can help, a PM would be fantastic. Can collect within 30 mins of the Wigan area. Not fussy age/laying ability/strain...

Many thanks

I lost swarms from 2 colonies early in the year, knocked down all QCs apart from 1. Both VQs got mated, started laying and everything seemed fine when the brood was capped then both queens swarmed at same time. I knocked down all Qcs again and now I've 2 newly mated queens laying again and I'm worried they'll do the same and swarm on me again. Anyone I've talked to has had a bad year with queens.

 

[sipa]

Anyone I've talked to has had a bad year with queens.

Well that depends on who you talk too and lots of other things besides doesn't it.

 

[Dusty Rhodes]

Well, I've had a bad year with queens, in three apiaries.

Dusty

 

[bontbee]

A beekeeping butty has had such a bad year with queens disappearing in one of his apiaries that he was convinced something skuldugerrous was going on. When he eventually got round to looking at another apiary and found the same thing, he was reassured, kind of....

 

[LJH]

Makes me feel better that it isn't just me losing them (not meant in a selfish way, even though it does sound like that!).

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It's been a strange year - either the queens have mated quickly and gone off like trains or they seem to have disappeared on their mating flights -eight or nine mating nucs ended up with laying workers (between my own and the association apiary) another twenty plus virgins mated in no time and all going well

 

[MuswellMetro]

yep I have seen more DLW this year than i have had in the past TEN, almost got the fertility Runes and crystals out but it was too cold to dance naked around the apiary

10c predicted there in outer london, so no improvement in the weather and too low for the thymol to work efficiently