Test frame now with two small QC’s

[GaryH]

So I’m going to make up a nuc. In same apiary is this plan ok:
Frame of capped brood with eggs stores and drawn comb.
shake in 50% more nurse bees than I think and block entrance with loosely packed grass. after 24 hours. Check they’re flying and returning at entrance and not blocked in.
Knock down emergency QCs ( introduce caged Q and 1/1 sugar syrup at this stage???)
Leave in cage and after 7 days go in and crack seal on cage, leave them alone for at least two weeks??

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

So I’m going to make up a nuc. In same apiary is this plan ok:
Frame of capped brood with eggs stores and drawn comb.
shake in 50% more nurse bees than I think and block entrance with loosely packed grass. after 24 hours. Check they’re flying and returning at entrance and not blocked in.
Knock down emergency QCs ( introduce caged Q and 1/1 sugar syrup at this stage???)
Leave in cage and after 7 days go in and crack seal on cage, leave them alone for at least two weeks??

If you are making up a nuc for a bought in queen :
First wait until the new queen arrives in the post then put her in your beesuit pocket when you go to the apiary.
I would then put in two frames of capped/emerging brood, not one and maybe a frame of just drawn comb. You should also put in a frame of stores, or if there is no flow on, put on a feeder of 1:1 syrup.
Put in the queen (with attendant) between the two frames of brood.
Then loosely plug the entrance and shake in the nurse bees.
24 hours later, go in and break the tab on the cage, also having a quick check for any EQCs they may have started, then leave alone.
I usually pop in after a few days/a week to make sure they've released her and remove the cage (don't inspect/look for her) then leave them alone for another week or two before doing a light inspection.

 

[GaryH]

Y

If you are making up a nuc for a bought in queen :
First wait until the new queen arrives in the post then put her in your beesuit pocket when you go to the apiary.
I would then put in two frames of capped/emerging brood, not one and maybe a frame of just drawn comb. You should also put in a frame of stores, or if there is no flow on, put on a feeder of 1:1 syrup.
Put in the queen (with attendant) between the two frames of brood.
Then loosely plug the entrance and shake in the nurse bees.
24 hours later, go in and break the tab on the cage, also having a quick check for any EQCs they may have started, then leave alone.
I usually pop in after a few days/a week to make sure they've released her and remove the cage (don't inspect/look for her) then leave them alone for another week or two before doing a light inspection.

Thanks really appreciate your input

yes she’s a bought in BMH Q.

If I don’t need to create a nuc until Q arrives (in 5 days) I plan to put the frames you mentioned above a Qx in another deep tomorrow so the nurse bees are attracted to the brood up from the deep with the main colony in. through Qx
Then use these frames to form the nuc as soon as the Q arrives. Then continue as you advised

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If I don’t need to create a nuc until Q arrives (in 5 days) I plan to put the frames you mentioned above a Qx in another deep tomorrow so the nurse bees are attracted to the brood up from the deep with the main colony in. through Qx
Then use these frames to form the nuc as soon as the Q arrives. Then continue as you advised

sound plan - saves the stress of making sure a sneaky queen doesn't find her way into the nuc.

 

[Erichalfbee]

.

Are you a spammer who changed his mind? Or are you a genuine member who saw sense?

 

[GaryH]

Are you a spammer who changed his mind? Or are you a genuine member who saw sense?

I take it this was Zorg 123 you were referring to

 

[GaryH]

I'd make up a nuc for the bought queen from another hive. Wait for the virgin to get mated and start laying, then if you don't want her dispatch and unite with the new nuc.

Update:
I placed a test frame in the hive again. Again the girls made QC’s
I dispatched the cells and did a newspaper unite with the burgeoning nuc with the bought BMH Queen in

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

However, the Queen was clipped so it must’ve been a cast swarm.

no, it would have been a prime swarm headed by a virgin

 

[Erichalfbee]

no, it would have been a prime swarm headed by a virgin

Yes it happens. I went into the supers on a hive where I had nuc’d the queen. Fewer bees than expected, less honey. Found a newly mated queen walking around. Must have missed a queen cell.

 

[GaryH]

I united the queenless colony with the BMH Q that was in a strong burgeoning Nuc
Newspaper method. I created slits in the newspaper but some may have been too big ??
7 days later and I have 8 emergency Q cells I didn’t see my BMH Buckfast queen but saw brood ( no eggs I could see)
I knocked down the QC’s hoping the BMH Q is still alive.
What can I do next ??

 

[Erichalfbee]

Are you sure they are emergency cells and not queen cells raised on your Buckie larvae after they bumped her off ?

 

[GaryH]

Are you sure they are emergency cells and not queen cells raised on your Buckie larvae after they bumped her off ?

Probably are or was I’ve knocked them off now though

 

[Erichalfbee]

So you’ve removed the colony’s ability to requeen itself? I’m afraid your new queen has long gone.
The receiving colony weren’t black bees were they?
I have found that some bees prefer to raise their own queen, bumping off an introduced one and making a new one from her eggs.
Did you have a good look for her?

 

[GaryH]

So you’ve removed the colony’s ability to requeen itself? I’m afraid your new queen has long gone.
The receiving colony weren’t black bees were they?
I have found that some bees prefer to raise their own queen, bumping off an introduced one and making a new one from her eggs.
Did you have a good look for her?

They are from a BF split that was Q- I couldn’t find her and she’s marked green but that’s nothing to go by I’m not good at spotting a Q and this one was elusive in the nuc too.
I think I may have to hope they raise a q and get her mated although I’m not optimistic

 

[Peterjay]

I united the queenless colony with the BMH Q that was in a strong burgeoning Nuc
Newspaper method. I created slits in the newspaper but some may have been too big ??
7 days later and I have 8 emergency Q cells I didn’t see my BMH Buckfast queen but saw brood ( no eggs I could see)
I knocked down the QC’s hoping the BMH Q is still alive.
What can I do next ??

Hi Gary, I sometimes even use two layers of newspaper if I sense that one or other of the colonies might be a bit pushy, but never make slits or pinpricks. The bees will unite without any help, and it seems better to delay rather than hurry them. I hope you discover that you still have a queen.

 

[drex]

Never take down any queen cells until you are confident you know what is going on in the hive. The bees have raised them for some reason and a knee jerk knocking them down can lead to a hopelessly queen less colony. I learnt the hard way too.

 

[GaryH]

They are from a BF split that was Q- I couldn’t find her and she’s marked green but that’s nothing to go by I’m not good at spotting a Q and this one was elusive in the nuc too.
I think I may have to hope they raise a q and get her mated although I’m not optimist

 

[GaryH]

Never take down any queen cells until you are confident you know what is going on in the hive. The bees have raised them for some reason and a knee jerk knocking them down can lead to a hopelessly queen less colony. I learnt the hard way too.

Is there still time to get a virgin queen hatched mated and laying before autumn

 

[drex]

If you are lucky. I would not be trying.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Yes imo I’ve just made mini nucs up with virgin queens, there are still loads of drones about and drone brood in some colony’s still

Is there still time to get a virgin queen hatched mated and laying before autumn