Queenless hive for months

[pargyle]

lol Pargyle, yes I forgot to mention that indeed I want to move away from 14x12
What about your colony, are you gonna do the same test? (cut some comb with eggs and put it in the hive which is not raising brood)

Yes, I've got three colonies where the queen is laying like the clappers already so a patch of eggs out of one of those won't hurt ... see where they go with it. I've done this before - best with about a 3" or 4" pastry cutter .. that leaves you a good patch of eggs after you have thumbed it in. Middle of frame but miss the wires seems to work well.

 

[REDWOOD]

The odd thing is that there are plenty of bees in there - no drone layers so far ... It's a bit dreek down here today or I would have put a test patch in this afternoon but it looks a bit better tomorrow so I will have a go then. It's weird as they are not agressive or aimless like you sometimes get when they are queenless ... might just be a late starter ...? Don't really want an imported queen but if they don't get going I can always combine with one of the others and then split later on when there's a better chance of drones about.

Any fanning on the top bars when you take the crown board off is usually a good sign of a queen less hive. Probably though she is still there but just not laying for some reason. I had one a few years ago and ended up uniting


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[Hivemaker.]

want a bet? i have seen 5 DN2+2 DN1 frame all without spacers in an untrained beginners five frame nuc box

All with brood in?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Any fanning on the top bars when you take the crown board off is usually a good sign of a queen less hive. Probably though she is still there but just not laying for some reason. I had one a few years ago and ended up uniting


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Fanning yes. I've seen that too

 

[Millet]

Any fanning on the top bars when you take the crown board off is usually a good sign of a queen less hive. Probably though she is still there but just not laying for some reason. I had one a few years ago and ended up uniting


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What if we have a laying worker in there that has not got going yet,

 

[REDWOOD]

You need a mated queen to start with


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[Millet]

You need a mated queen to start with


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Well i'll be damned..

 

[REDWOOD]

PM sent millet


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[Millet]

Thank you.. .
Steve.

 

[pargyle]

Any fanning on the top bars when you take the crown board off is usually a good sign of a queen less hive. Probably though she is still there but just not laying for some reason. I had one a few years ago and ended up uniting


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No ... that's the odd thing .. to all intents and purposes it looks queenless but there's no signs at all apart from a lack of eggs and brood ! You would expect to see something out of the ordinary. All going about their business as usual - should be a nice day tomorrow from the forecast so going to dabble when I get home from work ... deep joy ! Might have to be a teddy bear shaped hole in the comb as I can't find the round cookie cutters !!

 

[colinc]

I would be very careful with that plan, I understand Bees don't like Bears!


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[Erichalfbee]

Might have to be a teddy bear shaped hole in the comb as I can't find the round cookie cutters !!

Every beekeeper should have one of these, then

 

[Little John]

No ... that's the odd thing .. to all intents and purposes it looks queenless but there's no signs at all apart from a lack of eggs and brood ! You would expect to see something out of the ordinary. All going about their business as usual ...

FWIW - I've got two 5-frame nucs on 14x12 doing (or NOT doing) exactly the same - bringing in shed loads of pollen like it's on special offer - so you're not alone on this one. Maybe it's the result of a weird winter/spring ?

I've decided to ignore them for now, on the basis that they either will, or they won't - and I'll set about sorting them out whenever drones begin to make their normal appearance in my main hives - assuming that there's anything left to sort out, of course.
LJ

 

[pargyle]

Welll ... that went well ... NOT !! Got home from work and it had clouded over - very humid down here and muggy. Should have known better ... bees quite busy but more coming home than going out. Got suited up and opened the hive I reckoned would be a good donor and as soon as I got the crown board off they were all over me ... not stinging but pinging and generally not happy. Hadn't bothered with the smoker as it was going to be one frame out. quick cut and back in .. No chance ... Could barely see what I was doing for the bees in the air and pinging the veil. Sometimes you just have to listen to them ... gave up and shut them down ... got away without any stings and at least they did not follow me. See what it's like tomorrow.

Hi ho ...

 

[pargyle]

Every beekeeper should have one of these, then

I like that ...

 

[pargyle]

I would be very careful with that plan, I understand Bees don't like Bears!

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Hmmmm Post #34 - Prophetic !!

 

[colinc]

Every beekeeper should have one of these, then

I want one!!!!


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[colinc]

Hmmmm Post #34 - Prophetic !!

They sensed that bear coming
[emoji199] [emoji219] [emoji219] [emoji219]


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[pargyle]

They sensed that bear coming
[emoji199] [emoji219] [emoji219] [emoji219]


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I told them there was a bear coming as I could not tell a bear faced lie ... and then I put it on the roof of the next hive ...

I will have to find the round cookie cutters - I remember getting into awful trouble for using them last time so I daren't ask where 'er indoors has hidden them - or she will want to know why ?

Might have to invest ten bob on a set of my own if this is a sign of things to come this year ...

 

[colinc]

I told them there was a bear coming as I could not tell a bear faced lie ... and then I put it on the roof of the next hive ...



I will have to find the round cookie cutters - I remember getting into awful trouble for using them last time so I daren't ask where 'er indoors has hidden them - or she will want to know why ?



Might have to invest ten bob on a set of my own if this is a sign of things to come this year ...

Good luck. I have not had to do manoeuvres like that yet but the angry hive I dequeened and merged is soft as lambs wool and going great guns on double national brood. Lots of drone brood but few drones so swarm awareness starts here.......omg!


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