Reintroducing workers following a failed split.

[Beagle23]

I'm attempting a split and I'm curious as to the fate of the workers if the split fails and the new queen is not successful. Can they be reintroduced to their old colony? Is there a time frame beyond which reintroducing them would be bad?

 

[oliver90owner]

Introduce just as you would unite any two colonies.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

just shake them out in front of the other hives - they'll beg their way in.

 

[Beagle23]

Right cheers.

 

[Millet]

I'm attempting a split and I'm curious as to the fate of the workers if the split fails and the new queen is not successful. Can they be reintroduced to their old colony? Is there a time frame beyond which reintroducing them would be bad?

I do not know if you will be as unlucky as i have been but on two occasions i have ended up with laying worker colonies after the Queen has failed for one reason or another, i would give around a 4/5 week window from when the Queen emerged, if i did not see worker brood by then my butt would be twitching from past experience, drone brood and multiple eggs in cells is a dead give away, in that scenario as Jenky says shake them out.

 

[mickbees23]

I'm attempting a split and I'm curious as to the fate of the workers if the split fails and the new queen is not successful. Can they be reintroduced to their old colony? Is there a time frame beyond which reintroducing them would be bad?

As long as you have a queen mated or not you won't have laying workers, she will just lay drone brood if not mated. 4 to 5 weeks is a good marker but I have had queens take 6 weeks if the weather has been rubbish. The thing to look for if you can't find the new queen is polished cells in the centre of usually the middle 2 or 3 frames. Don't be too hasty putting in a test frame of eggs because that will only delay the queen laying. If you have a queen and want to reunite then just remove her and unite in your chosen method. If no queen and laying workers then throw them out 50yds away, remove the hive and let them figure it out.
I find it pretty difficult to make a colony queenless, they always seem make one no matter how bad I am at bee keeping..LOL


Cheers, Mick.

 

[Eyeman]

As long as you have a queen mated or not you won't have laying workers, she will just lay drone brood if not mated. 4 to 5 weeks is a good marker but I have had queens take 6 weeks if the weather has been rubbish. The thing to look for if you can't find the new queen is polished cells in the centre of usually the middle 2 or 3 frames. Don't be too hasty putting in a test frame of eggs because that will only delay the queen laying. If you have a queen and want to reunite then just remove her and unite in your chosen method. If no queen and laying workers then throw them out 50yds away, remove the hive and let them figure it out.
I find it pretty difficult to make a colony queenless, they always seem make one no matter how bad I am at bee keeping..LOL


Cheers, Mick.

Delay that test frame at your peril!
After all the old brood has emerged getting that test frame in gives an early indication that they are Q- and will prevent laying workers.
I've put in test frames only to find the new queen laying in the test frame at the next inspection- no delay?

 

[Beefriendly]

Interesting you say that Eyeman...on several occasions over many years when I thought a queen had failed to mate/gone missing on mating flight....adding a test frame and off she then goes.
Whether its the frame of eggs or my impatience coinciding with her starting laying is open to question.
Should add this doesn't happen in every case by any means.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Don't be too hasty putting in a test frame of eggs because that will only delay the queen laying.

Rubbish - there's anecdotal evidence to point at that it stimulates the queen to lay

 

[enrico]

Oh dear! Whatever works best for you I say, we all have different methods and beliefs!!!!!!
He he keep smiling

 

[Beefriendly]

we all have different methods and beliefs!!!!!!
He he keep smiling

Definitely keep smiling. We all have different bees types as well that behave differently.