Well that didn't work...

[Clemcook]

Hello,


I am sure some of you are aware of my eventual month or so, I need your advice again pleaseeee.

Split hives, left hive has been left with a QC three weeks ago, I inspected today and unfortunately she didn't work out, I assume as no sign of brood of any form. I put in a super sized frame of brood from my right hive.

My question would be, is it pointless trying to get them to raise a new queen this late on and would I be better to buy one? Also any recommendations for breeders would be great.

Thanks
Clem

 

[Poly Hive]

I think you are being over optimistic on your timings re3 the Q cell.

If it was say sealed 2 days before you put it in she has been out (and you didn't say if she emerged or not) for 21 days minus 6. They can take some 30 days after emergence to mate successfully.

If your test frame shows no cells then you have a virgin waiting on mating. I think frankly that all you can do is to exercise some patience and wait.

PH

 

[Erichalfbee]

Yes 3 weeks is not long enough especially if the weather has not been good. PH is right. Just wait.

 

[Clemcook]

Actually, it was just over 4 weeks, does the advice change??

Thanks

 

[Eyeman]

Actually, it was just over 4 weeks, does the advice change??

Thanks

You will get your answer when you next inspect your supersize frame of brood provided you had some eggs/young larvae on the frame (test frame).

 

[Clemcook]

Hi Eyeman,

Thanks for the reply, if I was to leave it for a week, re inspect and if no QC, assume a virgin is present?

Many thanks
Clem

 

[Vortex]

Hi Eyeman,

Thanks for the reply, if I was to leave it for a week, re inspect and if no QC, assume a virgin is present?

Many thanks
Clem

Not necessarily a virgin .. could be a mated queen that is slow coming into lay but yes you'll know one way or the other in a week .. just be careful when you inspect.

 

[Millet]

With my location and unpredictable weather if i did not have a laying Queen now at this time of the year i would give in trying to raise a Queen and i would unite the Q- hive with a Queen+ hive, for me in this location i need to be seeing egg and brood in all stages to be hopeful of them getting through winter, however further South you may have 3wks or more to play with than i do on the North East Coast.

 

[Clemcook]

The bees are hopefully moving to an apiary locally in the next week or two, I may wait and see what happens until then.

This was going to be my next question... When is it absolutely too late, when should I admit defeat?

Thanks

 

[enrico]

Never, not with the English weather! If you have drones in a hive then game still on in my humble opinion!

 

[bodlamby]

Clemcook,
I united two queenless colonies and added a frame of eggs to raise a queen. From that moment to me spotting 5 day old larvae was 4 1/2 weeks.
Did your bees remain calm on the last inspection and act like there was a queen.
Mine did on an inspection that was 3 weeks after the addition of the frame, so I left them just to see. Thank goodness I did. She has laid over 5 frames within the week.
Hold your nerve for at least another week.
finally the weather hasn't been great lately. maybe the queen AND the drones can't agree on when they like to fly out to meet up with each other.

 

[Poly Hive]

Personally I would be checking that test frame this weekend so that I would know what the status was and could plan from that as the clock is ticking louder and louder each week.

PH

 

[MuswellMetro]

agree with PH,

i often add some warm 1:1 syrup with a test frame and definely add warm feed if the test frame has no queens cells.

There is a lot of variables that delays a queen laying, a small hive get her laying quickly, large hives after a flow may think they dont need the queen to lay yet

Flow or lack of flow, pollen dearth, removing supers windy or rainy weather, low temperature and just the bees being Bees then it is never as it says in your book

 

[Jambo]

i often add some warm 1:1 syrup with a test frame and definely add warm feed if the test frame has no queens cells.

First time I have read a preference for warm syrup - could you explain please?

Thanks.

 

[Erichalfbee]

First time I have read a preference for warm syrup - could you explain please?

Thanks.

I always start the syrup warm. I use a 2litre rapid feeder surrounded by insulation. As for temperature....I stick my finger in it and it feels pleasantly warm

 

[Jambo]

I really meant to ask why? So that it doesn't chill the hive I guess?

 

[Clemcook]

l

Clemcook,
I united two queenless colonies and added a frame of eggs to raise a queen. From that moment to me spotting 5 day old larvae was 4 1/2 weeks.
Did your bees remain calm on the last inspection and act like there was a queen.
Mine did on an inspection that was 3 weeks after the addition of the frame, so I left them just to see. Thank goodness I did. She has laid over 5 frames within the week.
Hold your nerve for at least another week.
finally the weather hasn't been great lately. maybe the queen AND the drones can't agree on when they like to fly out to meet up with each other.

Hi,

Actually, recently there has been lots more activity around the hive and its quite full, when I inspected they were not aggressive, seemed less annoyed than my Q right hive, and I thought I saw something looking like a queen but I could be wrong. Maybeee saw some polished cells too.. Prehaps wishful thinking!

I'll check on the weekend and update

 

[Clemcook]

Hello,

I've just finished checking beehive and there is still some capped brood from the frame which I put in on Sunday but there is no sign of any new queen cells being made so I'm super confused as to whether I have a virgin in there or not she has been out now I would say about 5 to 6 weeks and Time is Running Out so I need to do something about the situation. Is it too late to be buying another Queen or shall I try and unite the colonies? There is a lot of bees in the Hive!!

To complicate things even more they are being moved tomorrow I'm doing the Queen less hive on Saturday and the queen right hive on Sunday

 

[Erichalfbee]

Hello,

I've just finished checking beehive and there is still some capped brood from the frame which I put in on Sunday but there is no sign of any new queen cells being made so I'm super confused as to whether I have a virgin in there or not she has been out now I would say about 5 to 6 weeks and Time is Running Out so I need to do something about the situation. Is it too late to be buying another Queen or shall I try and unite the colonies? There is a lot of bees in the Hive!!

To complicate things even more they are being moved tomorrow I'm doing the Queen less hive on Saturday and the queen right hive on Sunday

The unfortunate thing is that queen less hivesdo not always draw queen cells on the first frame ( but usually they do. One of mine didn't this year. I had to add another). So you still have an equivocal result. Sounds like there is a queen of sorts in there. Can you get an experienced eye on this hive. Have you an SBI to hand. They are brilliant at finding queens. 6 weeks is about the maximum if she hasn't been mated so you need to sort it. Queens are still available or a unite is fine to go ahead with but you have to find your hidden queen

 

[maddydog]

Not alot you can do other than putting a frame of bias in there and/or keep looking for the queen.

I received a hive of laying workers in may. As an experiment I added brood until they produced their own queen. Yesterday was the first day I've seen eggs (and then the q)