Queenless Colony

[BBC]

Hi there,
I’m a first year beekeeper with two colonies. I recently requeened both because they were extremely aggressive towards anything that came near.
One requeening has been successful. The other not so. I checked them both for the first time last night after 14 days.
The hive without a queen is very active and quite calm. Although no sign of the new queen, eggs or indeed brood.
I’m now worried that it will deteriorate and die out.
Please help. I don’t know what to do now.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Test frame
If you put in a frame containing eggs and very young larvae a queen less colony will draw emergency queen cells. If they don't then there is usually a queen in there.
That frame needn't stay there. You can put it back whence it came once you have a result

 

[BBC]

Thank you, I didn’t think of that option.
I will take one from the healthy colony asap and introduce.
I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.

 

[BBC]

Test frame
If you put in a frame containing eggs and very young larvae a queen less colony will draw emergency queen cells. If they don't then there is usually a queen in there.
That frame needn't stay there. You can put it back whence it came once you have a result

Hi there,
So I followed your advice and placed a frame with young brood into the the Queenless hive this afternoon.
Funnily enough, even though the hive had no brood of its own, there were several QC’s under construction.
I placed in the centre of the brood box and removed a nasty old black frame.
How long should I leave them alone and what should I expect in the coming weeks.
Many thanks in advance.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Queen cells or simply play cups? Have you checked that there aren’t laying workers?
How long ago did you try a new queen in this hive?
Whether you let them raise a new queen from an emergency cell depends on how old the bees are. If they have been without a queen for weeks I would simply unite the two colonies
Check in three days and report back.

 

[BBC]

Queen cells or simply play cups? Have you checked that there aren’t laying workers?
How long ago did you try a new queen in this hive?
Whether you let them raise a new queen from an emergency cell depends on how old the bees are. If they have been without a queen for weeks I would simply unite the two colonies
Check in three days and report back.

It’s been more than four weeks now. So if no new QC’s in three days, I will unite. Queenless box on top of the healthy one. News paper technique?

 

[Erichalfbee]

It’s been more than four weeks now. So if no new QC’s in three days, I will unite. Queenless box on top of the healthy one. News paper technique?

No. Unite only if there are queen cells.
those queen cells you described. What do they look like?

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don’t think you understand the test frame. If the bees have a queen mated or virgin or think they have ( laying workers) they will do nothing with the test frame.
if they do not have a queen then they will make queen cells and are safe to unite once you have removed those queen cells

 

[BBC]

No. Unite only if there are queen cells.
those queen cells you described. What do they look like?

Smaller than normal and definitely empty

 

[BBC]

Smaller than normal and definitely empty

But still under construction.

 

[Erichalfbee]

But still under construction.

Like this?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Because if they are …. those are play cups and can be ignored unless there is royal jelly in them.

 

[BBC]

Because if they are …. those are play cups and can be ignored unless there is royal jelly in them.

Very similar, yes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

So not queen cells at all.
Tell us what you find after three days. If unsure take a picture with most of the bees BRUSHED off the frame

 

[BBC]

So not queen cells at all.
Tell us what you find after three days. If unsure take a picture with most of the bees BRUSHED off the frame

Noted and will do.

 

[BBC]

Noted and will do.

Thank you

 

[enrico]

So not queen cells at all.
Tell us what you find after three days. If unsure take a picture with most of the bees BRUSHED off the frame

Leaving this one to you Dani, doing a great job!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Leaving this one to you Dani, doing a great job!

I thought this thread was invisible to all but me and the OP

 

[Murox]

I thought this thread was invisible to all but me and the OP

Not at all We are all eavesdropping, sipping tea and drinking in the wisdom.

 

[BBC]

Thank you

I thought this thread was invisible to all but me and the OP

Dear Mr Halfbee,
Apologies for the late response to your previous (and welcome) advice on my Queenless colony.
Update:
I introduced the test frame and now have 11 capped QC’s. There is still a lot of Drones in and around both hives.
I’m guessing I now need to reduce the number of QC’s?
Eagerly await your counsel