Queenless???

[Sutty]

Bit of a long story so bear with me!

Back in May I had a nuc as a result of removing the queen from a very unpleasant hive some weeks earlier.
Not wanting her genes I killed her and introduced a queen cell from a nice hive. Here's the timeline.

30th May Q killed and foil-protected QC introduced.
2nd June 3 EQCs removed. Introduced cell still sealed.
11th June introduced cell appears to have emerged, though I guess it's possible the bees opened it.
15th June Queen cups, one charged but destroyed as it was attached to two frames, no larva obvious. Given a test frame.
19th June no EQCs on test frame.
26th July no eggs or brood. Bees well behaved.
11th August no eggs or brood, given another test frame.

I'm planning to look again for EQCs in the next few days. The bees are ok to handle.

We're now 9 weeks after I saw the emerged QC. Is it possible they are queenright? I've not seen eggs or new brood at any point apart from on the test frame.

 

[Do224]

We're now 9 weeks after I saw the emerged QC. Is it possible they are queenright? I've not seen eggs or new brood at any point apart from on the test frame.

Will the colony still be viable 9 weeks down the line? Presume most of the bees are nearing the end of their lives…

 

[Sutty]

Will the colony still be viable 9 weeks down the line? Presume most of the bees are nearing the end of their lives…

Still a lot of bees in there, it's a double nuc box as it was absolutely rammed on 1 box.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Will the colony still be viable 9 weeks down the line? Presume most of the bees are nearing the end of their lives…

The brood making up the nuc will live much longer as the emerged bees don’t have more brood to look after.

 

[Do224]

The brood making up the nuc will live much longer as the emerged bees don’t have more brood to look after.

Thanks for the explanation

 

[Sutty]

Hard to know what to do next if no EQCs!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hard to know what to do next if no EQCs!

Do you need the colony?
If not , wait longer or shake out?

 

[Sutty]

Do you need the colony?
If not , wait longer or shake out?

Not really, got too many already!
However my patience broke and I've just had a quick look - EQCs being made. I know a lot of the bees are ancient but I'll see if they can make a queen & get mated as the donor frame was from my nicest colony and I want to boost her genes.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not really, got too many already!
However my patience broke and I've just had a quick look - EQCs being made. I know a lot of the bees are ancient but I'll see if they can make a queen & get mated as the donor frame was from my nicest colony and I want to boost her genes.

You softee !
Give them a frame of emerging brood.

 

[Sutty]

You softee !
Give them a frame of emerging brood.

I was wondering about exactly that!
If they manage it in time they may get united with a less pleasant hive (I have a couple of candidates)

 

[Sutty]

Interestingly the last inspection (11th Aug) was the first time they  sounded queenless!

 

[Sutty]

I checked these again today and there's a nice big LQ an nice frames of worker brood!
Bit paler than most of mine, but I'm not complaining!

 

[enrico]

Well done!

 

[The Poot]

I checked these again today and there's a nice big LQ an nice frames of worker brood!
Bit paler than most of mine, but I'm not complaining!

Don’t bees have a way of surprising us? What a great outcome.
Lots of feeding now?

 

[Sutty]

Don’t bees have a way of surprising us? What a great outcome.
Lots of feeding now?

Might need a little bit, but they are in a double decker nuc and the top box is fairly full of stores.