Queenless colony

louiseww · May 11, 2011

I was able to check my hives with the help of hubby to do the lifting and take the notes (after my heart attack three weeks ago!).
One colony that has been very troublesome and has swarmed several times - nothing I could do about it at the time although it had been checked by a colleague.
This colony yesterday looked to me like it was queenless I couldn't find any significant brood - lots of stores and nectar though.
So - there were two things going on I think (but what do I know as only a second year beek!)
a) No queen and no brood to raise one
b) Virgin that has not started laying yet.
I decided to take the bull by the horns (or bee by the tail) and transfer a frame from another hive that had an open and a closed queen cell - with the view that this may cover all options. If the virgin isn't there and doesn't start laying they have another frame with queen cells and also brood to raise another. If the queen is there and starts to lay I presume they will dismantle the other queen cells or there will be a fight for supremacy!
It's all done now so I don't want to mess them about until next week, but would like some reassurance that I just might have done the right thing and what to look for next time I inspect.
thanks
Louise

Midland Beek · May 11, 2011

louiseww said:
If the virgin isn't there and doesn't start laying they have another frame with queen cells and also brood to raise another. If the queen is there and starts to lay I presume they will dismantle the other queen cells or there will be a fight for supremacy!

Or ... put a sealed queen cell into your hive and have it cause a swarm.

After the emergence of a new queen it can be up to almost 4 weeks before she eventually comes into lay. I think putting in a test frame with no queen cells on it would have been more preferable, but you have done what you have done now. Of course, if there was no queen in there of any description, you have pulled a master stroke in giving them a couple of queen cells!

oliver90owner · May 11, 2011

Whichever way things turn out it would seem like you need a change of genes in this hive (unless the trouble was caused by your ill health)? If there is a young queen in there already I would likely be outing it as soon as possible if is likely to give further swarming problems.

Regards, RAB

kronkie · May 11, 2011

MB, I assume when you say a test frame that would be a frame from another hive with eggs/lava/ brood on it.(which I did to a queen less hive), What next?????

louiseww · May 11, 2011

oliver90owner said:
Whichever way things turn out it would seem like you need a change of genes in this hive (unless the trouble was caused by your ill health)? If there is a young queen in there already I would likely be outing it as soon as possible if is likely to give further swarming problems.

Regards, RAB

I think there is no doubt that it was caused by leaving them for two and half weeks without a thorough check because I was just not up to much and at this point when an association member checked and tried to sort them for me it was all too late and very, very complicated. He didn't write down exactly what he did, I wasn't up to doing it or taking much notice and so I am groping in the dark so to speak - just hope the bees with their 80million years of experience can sort themselves out - if they swarm again, so be it but I may now be in a position to catch them and re-hive - only time will tell. Up to now they have been nice placid bees and I hope I can at some point settle them again.
Thanks
Louise