Quick advice: two hives with supersedure cells

[Mamahilz]

I had 4 colonies and now have 2. Decided to combine the 4 and end up with two for the winter. One was large and irritable all year and so i combined with a small calm colony formed later in the season. The other two were just small calm colonies (again, formed later in the season). Unfortunately, checking them 1 week after combinig them, both newly combined colonies had no eggs and had supersedure cells. I assume the very hot weather last week had something to do with it?? What do i do now? Is it too late for both my hives? should i get rid of the cells and purchase 2 new queens?

 

[Finman]

.
Bye new queens.

When the hives have capped the queen cells (perhaps emercengy cells because they killed queen in joining. , they accept queen quite well.

Acception is better if you have feed with winter syrup the hives.

Late summer is dangerous time to installed queens. One hive may kill severeal queen what ever you try.

 

[beeno]

I better go and check mine! Speak to you later

 

[beeno]

I had 4 colonies and now have 2. Decided to combine the 4 and end up with two for the winter. One was large and irritable all year and so i combined with a small calm colony formed later in the season. The other two were just small calm colonies (again, formed later in the season). Unfortunately, checking them 1 week after combinig them, both newly combined colonies had no eggs and had supersedure cells. I assume the very hot weather last week had something to do with it?? What do i do now? Is it too late for both my hives? should i get rid of the cells and purchase 2 new queens?

Hi Mamahilz,
Phew my combine was OK, but thanks to your post they got some more feed. They had just finished a pollen patty. I do believe that the general consensus is that if the bees are superseding leave them alone they know what they are doing. In a perfect supersedure then mother and daughter live together in perfect harmony until the bees decide that one must go. So in principle you are in a win win situation. Assuming that you still have a queen in there. A bit strange that both colonies decided to supercede so perhaps you can provide a bit more detail for other more experienced beeks to go on. I am sure one will be along in a minute.

 

[Mamahilz]

Glad yours are ok. When i opened the first hive, having combined them, I initially thought that the bees above the paper must have been quick to respond to their queen being killed, so on seeing the supersedure cells i removed them. As I inspected the broodbox beneath, where my chosen queen was supposed to be, there was no queen, no eggs and a few supersedure cells (which i have left pending advice of the forum). As the queen i removed (whose colony was on the upper brood box) had more aggressive bees I assumed they didn't accept my chosen calm queen, and destroyed her when the two colonies came into contact with each other. Then when i looked at the other newly combined colony, made from two small calm colonies, i was surprised to see more supercedure cells (which were produced after i removed the paper and placed all the frames with brood on in the same brood box). My only conclusion was that the week of very hot weather we had immediately after i combined them, made them feel they had time to get a new mother mated???/ So i don't think mother and daughter are together, i think they have both rejected the queens i chose to keep. Just to confirm, do experienced BEEKS advise 2 new queens for my 2 colonies?

 

[beeno]

Hi Mamahilz,
From what you are saying you have only a supersedure cell in one hive. If so you only have I would say a 50 per cent chance of getting Q+ this time of the year.
I cannot work out what you have in hive two supercedure cells only or a queen present as well?

 

[Mamahilz]

Hive 1: supercedure cells and no queen.
Hive 2: supercedure cells and no queen

 

[Hivemaker.]

Hive 1: supercedure cells and no queen.
Hive 2: supercedure cells and no queen

Emergency cells.

 

[beeno]

Hive 1: supercedure cells and no queen.
Hive 2: supercedure cells and no queen

Hi again,
Too risky in my opinion to rely on mating only. You may end-up hopelessly queenless as I did last year from swarming 04/09/11 and only one hive. Saying that an ex-bee inspector was on the same timeline with his hive and succeeded. In the lap of the gods. I agree with Finman on this occasion whose stock phrase nearly always is 'buy a queen'. You have to get a laying queen by hook or by crook or money. Even if it is only one and perhaps eventually unite the whole lot! Get someone more experienced to help you. You obviously had the ability to find the queens you did not want initially so why did you leave them to fight it out? Good luck.