The queen has got into the blinkin' super :(

[The Riviera Kid]

It's my own fault. Not sure how it happened... I opened the colony (a colony developing from a nuc I made up in the spring) up a week or so ago and all was well.

When I went today there were some capped brood in the brood box but no eggs. Then I found just one queen cup. It was all very odd. Had a sneaking suspicion and looked in the super (there is just one on this colony thank goodness) and it was full of brood and eggs.

Last time I went to see them I got as far as moving the QE to one side and realised the smoker had gone out. Went away to relight it and suspect queen must have crawled around the side. Can't think of any other explanation.

Anyone got any good ideas for getting Her Majesty back where she belongs? Was thinking to take a spare super, put on a bit of chipboard, put the other super (with queen in) by it's side, take out the frames one by one and brush all the bees off back in to the brood box and then put them in the spare super. If I use a clearer board then the queen will be left in the super alone and die of cold I think.

Any other ideas? I went through quickly on the spot and couldn't see the queen immediately.

Hmmmmmm...

 

[VEG]

Look through super find queen move her down to brood box, put excluder back on super on top job done.

 

[BeeNice]

to add to Veg's comment, the brood in the super will develop and hatch as usual, so find the queen and move her down.
Good luck
regards, Steven

 

[chipper]

Found a similar problem today...possibly a faulty QE.....could nt find the Queen....so shook all 4 supers gently back into brood box and hope for the best.....AND... changed the QE...

 

[The Riviera Kid]

Thanks everyone. I know of course that I could plug through the super and find the queen. I was just wondering if there was some smart quick way

I checked my QE chipper, and it was fine. If there were a fault with it then the queen would be moving between the super and brood box but there are no eggs in the brood at all, inferring that she's not been in there for a week.

Will go and sort it out now...

 

[milkermel]

I dont know if I am correct, its just what works for me, but 9/10 time my queen is on the frame with most recent eggs on them. (well unless she is trying to hide which does on occasions happen!)

 

[drstitson]

either find queen and place back in brood box OR shake ALL bees back.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

Shook all the bees in to the brood box in the end. Did it on Saturday morning. and not had a chance to check if it's worked as the weather has been rotten here today. windy and wet.

 

[RogueDrone]

I had similar two nice supers dicided to have a quick look to see if ealed and found brood. I removed the QX and placed empty supper on top of BB shuck brushed all bees into box then put excluder on top of empty supper (eke) hope to find no eggs in honey suppers next inspection Thu' ish. Plan is for all brood in honey store to hatch prior to extraction.

 

[The Riviera Kid]

yeah I think that the brood will be long gone before it comes to extraction time. still not been able to go check on them today cos of the rotten weather here.