Uniting a Nuc with queenless hive

Buzz Off · Jun 25, 2021

I have a very strong hive which is hopelessly queenless for 5 wks. Tried adding a virgin queen in a cage but no luck...they killed her.
The hive has 2 supers.
How can I unite a q+ Nuc safely to this hive?.
? Newspaper and qxc over the brood box, add the Nuc frames into another brood box over this. Then how do I manage 2 supers with bees..do I put newspaper between the brood box with Nuc frames before adding the supers and if so will bees survive in that with no outlet?

jenkinsbrynmair · Jun 25, 2021

Buzz Off said:
I have a very strong hive which is hopelessly queenless for 5 wks. Tried adding a virgin queen in a cage but no luck...they killed her.
The hive has 2 supers.
How can I unite a q+ Nuc safely to this hive?.
? Newspaper and qxc over the brood box, add the Nuc frames into another brood box over this. Then how do I manage 2 supers with bees..do I put newspaper between the brood box with Nuc frames before adding the supers and if so will bees survive in that with no outlet?

Are you sure they're hopelessly Q-? have you tried a test frame?

Erichalfbee · Jun 25, 2021

Agree with JBM. ARE they hopelessly queenless? Is there a new queen in there? After five weeks if they are there may be laying workers too

Buzz Off · Jun 25, 2021

Well did a stupid thing! Put in test frame but then was given a v q. Cells were being drawn but then I took out the frame with the cells to a Nuc when I put in the caged q.
Left that for 3 days then released q and they killed! But I have a few Nucs that I want to unite as I don't want too many stocks.

Erichalfbee · Jun 25, 2021

I have united through two supers no problem.

user 819 · Jun 25, 2021

Buzz Off said:
Well did a stupid thing! Put in test frame but then was given a v q. Cells were being drawn but then I took out the frame with the cells to a Nuc when I put in the caged q.
Left that for 3 days then released q and they killed! But I have a few Nucs that I want to unite as I don't want too many stocks.

Some colonies simply won't except a new queen, they prefer to raise their own. In hind sight should have left the test frame and the QC being drawn and later reducing cells.