Requeening agressive split

[Sianerw]

One thing I’ve learnt this year is if you have a marginally tetchy colony that then make swarm preps, it’s best to keep the queen in the main hive with the flying bees, either as a Pagden or a vertical split where her pheromone can reach the flying bees a little, through the mesh in a split board. Putting this type of queen into a Nuc makes the remaining colony much worse when queenless and definitely not worth risking

Definitely something to remember next time! Thank you!

 

[Sutty]

One thing I’ve learnt this year is if you have a marginally tetchy colony that then make swarm preps, it’s best to keep the queen in the main hive with the flying bees, either as a Pagden or a vertical split where her pheromone can reach the flying bees a little, through the mesh in a split board. Putting this type of queen into a Nuc makes the remaining colony much worse when queenless and definitely not worth risking

I've had exactly that experience this year, thankfully with very tolerant neighbours despite being stung. Were horrendous once I'd nuced the queen (now deceased!), Significantly better since they requeened but we will see! May have to remove new Q & unite if not much better, but I want to wait until the "nice" colony is stronger.

 

[elainemary]

I've had exactly that experience this year, thankfully with very tolerant neighbours despite being stung. Were horrendous once I'd nuced the queen (now deceased!), Significantly better since they requeened but we will see! May have to remove new Q & unite if not much better, but I want to wait until the "nice" colony is stronger.

Exactly the same stage I’m at with mine. One colony requeened and quiet as a lamb, the other (which was originally ok but I diverted the nasty flyers to it and it ‘turned’), significantly better since it’s requeened itself (I missed a swarm cell on the bottom of drone brood). On my watch list for potential requeening again by the autumn once this years Nucs are stronger