Queenless hive

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Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
7
Reaction score
1
Location
North Herefordshire
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
1
Hi,

I'm a beginner beekeeper with one hive. A couple of weeks ago we noticed that the queen had gone. The hive has one queen cell that has yet to hatch. If that queen cell is unsuccesful how do I go about introducing new queen to this jhive?
 
When I introduced a new ’postal queen’ to a queenless hive last year I just put her in the cage she came (with the accompanying workers) in between 2 brood frames. Made sure they were hopelessly queenless first, which is another discussion. Worked fine.
 
If the queen has gone so likely has half of the colony, she doesn't leave of her own free will once established either that or she may have been accidently killed via an inspection previously.

It sounds as if the cell was sealed if so she should emerge within 6 or 7 days at a pinch.
 
If the queen has gone so likely has half of the colony, she doesn't leave of her own free will once established either that or she may have been killed via an inspection previously.
Was the cell sealed or open ?
the cell was sealed last weekend when i checked. the colony looks as busy as a couple of weeks ago so she may have been killed in an inspection.
 
the cell was sealed last weekend when i checked. the colony looks as busy as a couple of weeks ago so she may have been killed in an inspection.
If you killed the queen during an inspection there would be many emergency cells. Not one.
Swarmed colonies look just as populous as before swarming as bees emerge all the time and when you are inspecting lots of foragers are away anyway.
Is there ANY brood?
 
It is surprising that colonies often look none the worse once a swarm has gone albeit QL. They will have it all under control so possibly depending when it was actually sealed a VQ should emerge by Friday or Saturday at the latest, until then let them alone. If you by chance marked the frame she was on or know which one it was, you could have a very quick look at the cell to check emergence then leave them alone for 3 to 4 weeks to generally get on with life.
 
If you killed the queen during an inspection there would be many emergency cells. Not one.
Swarmed colonies look just as populous as before swarming as bees emerge all the time and when you are inspecting lots of foragers are away anyway.
Is there ANY brood?
there were more cells, a more experienced beekeeping friend removed all but one when we did an inspection. there are brood and a lot of drones.
 
It is surprising that colonies often look none the worse once a swarm has gone albeit QL. They will have it all under control so possibly depending when it was actually sealed a VQ should emerge by Friday or Saturday at the latest, until then let them alone. If you by chance marked the frame she was on or know which one it was, you could have a very quick look at the cell to check emergence then leave them alone for 3 to 4 weeks to generally get on with life.
yes, we marked the frame with the queen cell on. How long does a Queen take to develop in her cell?
 
Sealed on day 9 after egg being laid and emerges usually on or about day 16.
I have had some emerge on day 15 and last year I had to physically pull one that was 21 days, never had one that old before.
 
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