Re Queening

[ashley hunter]

Please forgive me if this is a really stupid question ... I am a very stressed newbie. So much so my wife is threatening to throw me an the bees out. Apparently what was supposed to be a gentle hobby has turned me int a morose stress head !!!! ...

I am having to re queen my hive - queen a confirmed drone layer, Having sorted in my head what was happening and organized my self to take action i am now seriously worried my precious hive will die before my queen will get established. My rationale is Queen introduced tomorrow evening ( old queen dispatched Sunday - that was very sad by the way ) 3-4 days to be released, assuming she starts laying immediately - 21 further days before new worker bees emerge ... we are taking roughly 4 weeks before any bee is replaced and all I have left at present is potentially a few new workers and the rest are drone !!! will the bees I have left in the hive at present last long enough till the new workers emerge or will i be faced with a dwindling hive close to extinction before any rescue is in sight.

any guidance / comfort greatly appreciated

 

[Walrus]

If the brood in the hive is all drone, and most of the bees in the hive are drones, then you are a bit buggered assuming you only have this one hive.

Normally the solution is to combine with another colony. Perhaps you can scrounge a couple of frames of sealed brood + workers from another beekeeper?

 

[Beefriendly]

( old queen dispatched Sunday - that was very sad by the way

Dispatching drone laying queens should be celebratory not sad.
I concur with Walrus, with no or few workers you are wasting your time introducing a new queen.

I'd ring round any other beekeepers I know and beg plead for 2 or 3 frames of bees and brood to start a new nuc from and add the queen to this. Don't worry if this takes a few days to organise your new queen and attendants in cage, (provide a little water) will be fine for a week or so.

If you can take the journey up to Yorkshire and back I'm more than happy to provide you with enough bees and brood to form a queenless nuc..

 

[enrico]

All you can do is try. I had similar situation this year. I introduced the queens and got to do of all the drone brood by shaking the bees off and giving new frames. Drawn frames would be best. It took time for them to build but I am over the worst. All you can do is go from it.
Your bees will always stress you so take a step back. They will do all they can to live, all you can do is help them as best you can. If you fail, they would have anyway. At least you tried!
Oh and welcome by the way!!!!!!!
E

 

[ashley hunter]

I have a fair few drones but there are still plenty of workers at present - I think my queen has only been laying drone for perhaps 2 weeks at very most. Last week ( 2 July was the inspection when I realised things were not right !! ) ... my worry was would they last till the queen started laying and then new worker bees emerged. Thank you all very much for your responses .. I will take stock and perhaps review my options.

 

[Beefriendly]

I have a fair few drones but there are still plenty of workers at present - I think my queen has only been laying drone for perhaps 2 weeks at very most.

Stick with plan A then. Your OP seemed to suggest you had few workers. Should be a breeze.

 

[ashley hunter]

Should i attempt to remove as much capped drone brood as possible and drones ?? or just leave things as they are ?? Sorry I complicated OP and didn't explain fully, I had written a huge missive but then thought you really just need to know the basics - perhaps a tad too basic ... I have a smidgen of hope I may get out of this in one piece.

 

[Beefriendly]

Should i attempt to remove as much capped drone brood as possible and drones ?? or just leave things as they are ?? Sorry I complicated OP and didn't explain fully, I had written a huge missive but then thought you really just need to know the basics - perhaps a tad too basic ... I have a smidgen of hope I may get out of this in one piece.

Not a bad idea. I'd destroy it if there is worker brood on same frame. In your situation workers take priority.

 

[ashley hunter]

thank you for everyone's help .. very much appreciated