Requeening. First stage done

[Obee1]

Here is what I am going to do....unless there is an outcry of condemnation!
When my queens arrive....I will make up 2 nucs....next day....I will put queens in with tab still on after dribbling a few drops of water. Next day...remove tab. When I see she is laying....I will recombine the Nuc with mother hive. First...locating and removing the resident queen......leave for a few hours then do a newspaper combine....and may also spray with air freshener for good measure.

Much the same as me. Except I only left nuc for one hour before adding queen with tab. Then waited 3 days to remove tab. Being so patient is killing me! Having to sit on my hands. Which hurt as my nasty hive stung my hands twice today (through gloves). Counted 31 stings in my suit and that was after shaking it out first. I really need to requeen Asap.

 

[Tremyfro]

Much the same as me. Except I only left nuc for one hour before adding queen with tab. Then waited 3 days to remove tab. Being so patient is killing me! Having to sit on my hands. Which hurt as my nasty hive stung my hands twice today (through gloves). Counted 31 stings in my suit and that was after shaking it out first. I really need to requeen Asap.

I think I would have torched them by now....I don't know how you have managed to keep going! Are you absolutely sure you don't have africanised bees? When I thought my one colony was too buzzy.....it was because they ignore smoke...buzz the veil sometimes and have followed for a few yards....but not because they are stinging. Mostly....they are fine. It is in comparison to the Carniolans....that they seem buzzy. When I have been to other apiaries.....mine seem very calm in comparison.
Are you still wanting queens?....I will have a Blue queen and possibly 2 Green queens after I have finished sorting them out? All laying well....and a lots nicer than your Meanies.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hivemaker told me he reckons he is sending more than half the queens he posts to certain death. Must be very discouraging.

I should hazard that a lot of folk are introducing them to colonies that are not queen-less....or at least not in the view of the bees.

Then maybe hivemaker should send them with instructions. I asked him how he suggested I introduce my queen and had no reply.

Check your PMs

 

[REDWOOD]

I can imagine

 

[beecology]

My Hivemaker queen has arrived today, promptly and perfectly, Many thanks Pete!

Fingers crossed the introduction goes smoothly, a patient approach and have some lovely calm orange bees to work with soon.

PS - The hive she is going in is definitely queenless (the old queen is in the freezer ready for attracting swarms to easy reaching distance next year!)

 

[Cussword]

PS - The hive she is going in is definitely queenless (the old queen is in the freezer ready for attracting swarms to easy reaching distance next year!)

How does that work?

 

[Obee1]

Update on my hivemaker queen. She is in her nuc since last Friday - one week today. Tab was released Monday and I looked in today. Eggs! I saw her wandering round the comb. She's pretty. Smaller than my other bucky queen who is a 2014 model. Next phase is to do the unite which means catching meangreenqueen. I have bought some correx nuc boxes so that I can split the hive into pairs of frames if need be. I would imagine there's about 15 frames of brood in there.
Think I may move the hive to my other apiary and do the manipulations over there. Less people around to worry about.

Still not out of the woods yet....

 

[beecology]

How does that work?

when its swarm season, smear the dead queen on a post or low hanging branch (scout bees do the rest)

 

[beecology]

Update on my hivemaker queen. She is in her nuc since last Friday - one week today. Tab was released Monday and I looked in today. Eggs! I saw her wandering round the comb. She's pretty. Smaller than my other bucky queen who is a 2014 model. Next phase is to do the unite which means catching meangreenqueen. I have bought some correx nuc boxes so that I can split the hive into pairs of frames if need be. I would imagine there's about 15 frames of brood in there.
Think I may move the hive to my other apiary and do the manipulations over there. Less people around to worry about.

Still not out of the woods yet....

How long did you leave the tab in place? - just spotted above!

I couldn't put her in a nuc, so I made the receiving hive queenless this morning, crushed handfuls of garden mint and smeared over and hung between frames.

When HM'ers Queen arrived, rubbed introduction cage with mint and repeated earlier mint operation with fresh and popped her in to brood nest.

Will check in two days to assess fondant etc.

BTW, bees appeared very calm, though that could be the mint!

 

[oliver90owner]

Somewhere, probably on this saga, I suggested putting a queen excluder between brood boxes to narrow down the search in two or three days time. Not sure why I am offering this advice again, so soon, but there. Think simple. It works.

 

[Obee1]

Somewhere, probably on this saga, I suggested putting a queen excluder between brood boxes to narrow down the search in two or three days time. Not sure why I am offering this advice again, so soon, but there. Think simple. It works.

As mentioned previously, a grumpy colony in an urban garden is probably not best suited to any method that necessitates opening the hive more than strictly necessary. Even cracking the two brood boxes apart causes mean bees to fly out and sting me or people in the vicinity. I'm hoping that I can get this regicide and joining manipulation done in one visit to the hive.

 

[maddydog]

As mentioned previously, a grumpy colony in an urban garden is probably not best suited to any method that necessitates opening the hive more than strictly necessary. Even cracking the two brood boxes apart causes mean bees to fly out and sting me or people in the vicinity. I'm hoping that I can get this regicide and joining manipulation done in one visit to the hive.

See if you can employ a helper to lift the box while you smoke them and slide in the q ex. Should only take a few seconds. Not pleasant searching through two boxes of aggro bees trying to spot a q with tears in yours eyes! Have been there.

 

[oliver90owner]

not pleasant searching through two boxes of aggro bees

Yes, maddydog,

As they say, 'You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink'. Fits perfectly for this saga, which has been on-going for over a month - so far.

The original suggestion of moving them was, by far, the simplest expedient, but ignored by the OP, just like the horse horse that refused to drink. Horse probably had blinkers, too

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

As Posted on WDYDITAT, I did this last week with 2 QEs into four boxes and it was exceedingly unpleasant. Worth it for an easier hunt though, especially after I have moved the offending box for a while.

 

[Beanwood]

Somewhere, probably on this saga, I suggested putting a queen excluder between brood boxes to narrow down the search in two or three days time.

Please, allow me (I liked the simplicity of it)

Even more simple. And only needing one more brood box.

Place two brood frames with open brood in a new box, shake in all bees from old brood box, cover with Q/E, place old brood box over and leave until next day. Remove top box, take away the bottom box to a new location and replace the old brood box. Whether you use one or two floors it matters not, a
s long as the witch is not on the floor. The witch will be between the two frames, if they are left in the light for several minutes (that cuppa)

Trap her carefully or she could fly home.

This method works every time - but may not be appropriate for people with nasty bees in residential gardens, in particular.

Not appropriate for the OP perhaps because of the location, but I will likely try with one of mine that is rather tetchy, and with a difficult (To me) to find queen.

 

[Obee1]

not pleasant searching through two boxes of aggro bees

Yes, maddydog,

As they say, 'You can lead a horse to water but you cannot make it drink'. Fits perfectly for this saga, which has been on-going for over a month - so far.

The original suggestion of moving them was, by far, the simplest expedient, but ignored by the OP, just like the horse horse that refused to drink. Horse probably had blinkers, too

How can you say I have ignored the suggestion to move them when I haven't performed the manipulations yet. Indeed moving the hive is my preferred option but the new site needed a lot of preparing and to that end I have spent the past few weekends working on it. If you don't like my thread or 'saga' then don't read or post on it. Simples!

 

[oliver90owner]

Nah, it's a good laarf. At least any new beeks will get the chance to get the message re dodgy bees. Move them immediately. At least new beeks might get the message that bees in the garden can become a nuisance or worse. At least some of them might think about having somewhere else to park a dodgy colony while requeening, or just to get it done in double quick time - and that should be good deal less than half the time this saga has been dragging on.

 

[tudorcd]

Hmmm, using protected ripe queen cell on 2/6/15 would have by now resulted in demise of old the queen, new queen mated, possibly laying but most likely within a fortnight, all nasty bees gone in about 7 weeks, probably nice bees replacing them, all for a few quid and low anxiety, easy beekeeping ...

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Groan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! here we go again!

 

[Obee1]

Hmmm, using protected ripe queen cell on 2/6/15 would have by now resulted in demise of old the queen, new queen mated, possibly laying but most likely within a fortnight, all nasty bees gone in about 7 weeks, probably nice bees replacing them, all for a few quid and low anxiety, easy beekeeping ...

I don't have access to a queencell with the genetics I require! Also the delay has largely been due to waiting for the purchased queen to be mated so she could be sent to me. She arrived 10 days ago and is now ready to head the colony via a newspaper joining.