Recovering a Failed 'Re-Queen'

[Chunky Plumpy]

Hello all,

I need a little advice please after failing miserably to requeen my two hives. For reasons I shan't go into here, one hive was preparing to swarm making queen cells and the second in need of a better/friendlier queen, so lifted the nice queen into a nuc and 'managed' the other two hives, trying to re-queen from queen cells out of the 'superior' hive.

I went in today after 4 weeks and have LOTS of honey/stores but absolutely no brood, in either hive, nor are there any signs of eggs or larvae but nectar and pollen where there was once brood. So I'm in a bit of a pickle and would appreciate some advice introducing the nice queen from the nuc back into a hive.

I'm anxious about just plopping her and her new family from the nuc into the hive in case the remaining bees take issue and kill my only remaining queen. Should I box her first or perhaps just harvest the two big hives and let them perish before I simply rehome the nuc in an empty hive without contest? Any advice welcome, cheers, CP.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Way too early to expect a result - you probably have two virgins or recently deflowered queens in there. stop fiddling and leave them in peace. Clattering around in those hives at this point can do more harm than good.

 

[markb2603]

Put in a frame of eggs from your nuc and check in a few days to see if they have made queen cells - confirmation that there isn’t a virgin or recently mated queen in there. If they do you could let them raise the queen cell or remove the queen cells and do a newspaper combine with a spare brood box and your nuc.

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

Thanks @markb2603 , I like the idea of 'testing' with a frame of eggs but my edification (thanks @jenkinsbrynmair on both threads appears far from complete and the suggestion is that 4 weeks is not enough time. I shall not meddle in the brood boxes and give them more time... then return here if it continues to look bleak. Cheers, CP.

 

[Erichalfbee]

4 weeks

I usually give up at six then put in a test frame.

 

[Sutty]

If you are short of frames from the nuc to use as test frames you can cut out a bit of frame (pastry cutter & watch out for the wires) and transfer that to a similarly cut out hole. I've never tried it but seen it described! Just make sure there are eggs & young larvae in the donor piece.

 

[Newbeeneil]

If you are short of frames from the nuc to use as test frames you can cut out a bit of frame (pastry cutter & watch out for the wires) and transfer that to a similarly cut out hole. I've never tried it but seen it described! Just make sure there are eggs & young larvae in the donor piece.

I have a apple corer in my hive tool bucket that I warm with my smoker lighting blow torch and use to cut a small section of eggs from a donor hive. Then cut a similar section from a frame in the queenless hive and insert the egg section.
Very useful for testing or requesting.

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

Thanks everyone, I’ll leave them in peace for another 2 weeks (takes me to 6) and if they are not back in action I’ll try the section of brood/larvae to save robbing the nuc twice.

Cheers, CP.

 

[Erichalfbee]

The test frame has to be in for only three days. No need to cut anything. Put in the test frame and give it back to the donor colony three days later. Minus queen cells of course.

 

[Chunky Plumpy]

Hello all, @jenkinsbrynmair was correct and I was flapping like a proper newbie who only needed leave things for another 2-3 weeks. Both colonies are strong with lots of brood and larvae across 6 or more brood frames. The little nuc was doing brilliantly and bursting with bees whilst I kept it all that time 'just in case', but that has now gone to a friend who sadly lost both their colonies.

I shall certainly try and keep a cool head in future and let nature works its magic before diving in based purely on the internet and 'statistics' Cheers, CP.