Queenless Ratty Nuc

[SWEET]

Afternoon folks

Pondering either introducing a new queen or uniting with another nuc (paper method) or tipping them around the full hives, bees are ratty but that could be due to the queen less state.

Decent amount of bees in nuc and can add more once queen accepted.

Best route?

Thanks

 

[enrico]

I would unite with the other nuc!
E

 

[SWEET]

Sold, seemed the best option as I'm sure they will kill the queen.

 

[Poly Hive]

Have you checked with a test frame that they actually are Q-?

PH

 

[SWEET]

No, checked over frames several times (over past weeks/month) and also going by general disposition and the fact the marked queen would be easy to spot.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Test frame!
If you unite with two queens the bees might kill the wrong one
Then where will you be?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I know what I would do - shake 'em out, no hand wringing about missing the crazy queen then, dump her in a hedge and let the rest beg their way in to new accomodation and work for their keep.

Same goes for the bees

 

[Poly Hive]

LOL basic error 101.

Test frame every time, if you assume it will bite your bum.

PH

 

[SWEET]

Ha.

It's a couple of frames of bees, so easy to check for the Q.

I'm going for a dump, the clock is ticking.

Thanks people.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Decent amount of bees in nuc and can add more once queen accepted.

Ha.

It's a couple of frames of bees, so easy to check for the Q.

.

Ah ..... misunderstood the first quote

 

[Poly Hive]

It don't matter if its two frames or twenty for queen finding. I have had a lovely mated queen elude me for a fortnight in a mini nuc.

Its your loss but for everyone else if you don't KNOW whether you are queen minus or not its a test frame every time.

PH

 

[SWEET]

It don't matter if its two frames or twenty for queen finding. I have had a lovely mated queen elude me for a fortnight in a mini nuc.

Its your loss but for everyone else if you don't KNOW whether you are queen minus or not its a test frame every time.

PH

PH, its defo very good advice* (and will use in future thanks) but the queen has/had a massive green dot on her thorax, 99.9% sure I could spot her as a lovely Buckfast chilled strain.

Managed to find the evil queen(s) in the killer hive with 1000's bees trying to kill me, she was super fast and rather small but got the cow (and unmarked). After trying a couple of new queens and after they started layering drones the hive got dumped, worked really well.

Even if I've missed the queen and she appears like magic, no eggs/brood and 16th September, chances of winter survival seem slim to me.

*Out of interest; was she marked? were there eggs/brood and how was general disposition.

 

[SWEET]

Ah ..... misunderstood the first quote

Yeah its boarder-line decent but not rammed and reducing each passing day, prob be empty by the time I get to it this week.

 

[Murox]

PH, its defo very good advice (and will use in future thanks) but the queen has/had a massive green dot on her thorax, 99.9% sure I could spot her as a lovely Buckfast chilled strain.

I have a very gentle hive with a well marked red Q - the hive just purrs calmly when she is there - one inspection time I set a frame outside of the hive, taken from the outer frames, I gave the frame a cursory glance to see if she was on it. After a couple of mins. the hive was like an angry chainsaw. I still couldn't find her on that frame easily; I had to move bees to uncover her. When I replaced the frame there was a great roar which trailed off to a happy hum. Coloured dots help but they are good at hiding in plain sight.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Trouble is, people just look for a coloured dot, rather than looking for a queen

 

[SWEET]

Trouble is, people just look for a coloured dot, rather than looking for a queen

Guess many might and workers are handy at removing paint, so good point.

 

[SWEET]

Checked this nuc last night, bees chilled and more than I thought so trying a new queen, no eggs/brood/queen seen (over 5 weeks now), cells polished and waiting for eggs.

 

[enrico]

Be interested to hear the outcome! Is the new queen marked so you can see which survives if there is one in there?

 

[Murox]

Trouble is, people just look for a coloured dot, rather than looking for a queen

Which is of course exactly what I did on that occasion .

 

[SWEET]

Be interested to hear the outcome! Is the new queen marked so you can see which survives if there is one in there?

Yeah marked BF, it might all turn to **** but might work well, seemed a shame to dump them and the aggression has stopped, almost like they have given up.