What did you do in the Apiary today?

[Parsonage Bees]

If emerged end of May you may still find she starts laying soon.

Weather has been a lot better for mating flights, it's true.
I made up a nuc with another QC which now has laying workers so that one has definitely failed.

#edit They are not making an area of polished cells so I'm leaning towards there being no hope of a laying queen. ?

 

[SWHives]

Checked 3 colonies yesterday 1st just capped the only remaining QC. Upper BB heavy as hell, full of nectar so added another super. 2nd hive accepted new queen introduced this week. 3rd colony swarmed in may, first 2024 queen laying nicely with eggs/larvae on 6 frames.

 

[drex]

Took a while to go though demaree stack consisting of 2 National BB and 7 supers. !

Want to undo demaree I started mid-May but allowed QC to emerge in top to make another colony from best hive. Still no eggs or brood in top but not sure whether VQ is still there. Soon will be unviable tho'. ?

Not trying this way of making increase again. Will move QC to nuc next time.

Still a bit early. Try a test frame. I got 3 queencells out of top box. Left one there and 2 went in nucs. All are laying nicely. Top box now split off a d bottom building nicely.
I like Demaree. Don't give up on it

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Still a bit early. Try a test frame. I got 3 queencells out of top box. Left one there and 2 went in nucs. All are laying nicely. Top box now split off a d bottom building nicely.
I like Demaree. Don't give up on it

Yes, I like the demaree process for swarm prevention but using it to make increase having a flighty VQ wandering around in the top, inspections have the extra danger of her dropping into the bottom box while the colony is apart. While you are rotating frames between the 2 brood boxes. And killing your strong proven queen. Or maybe I worry too much. Probably better to do the inspection late in the day.

Test frame next week.

 

[Moobee]

If emerged end of May you may still find she starts laying soon.

 

[Moobee]

Checked a home hive for EQCs after splitting them last week. The one I had marked to keep has disappeared so settled on another nice sized one and knocked down the rest. Bees very calm and supers getting very heavy.
The VQ I introduced into a mini nuc has finally mated and is laying. Nearly lost her as while trying to mark and clip her as she flew onto the hive stand. Managed not to cover this one in green ink!

 

[StephenT]

Had to do swarm control for the second time this season on the same queen even though they had plenty of space. Nasty hive still rather nasty after requeening 5 weeks ago. Going to take a few more weeks for them to turn into gentle bees although being on triple brood and 5 supers, they are our most productive hive. Put additional supers on two more hives as great flow on at the minute.

 

[Beth]

New carni queen in her nuc after delays by Royal Mail. And the naughty hive 3 seen balling a queen actually had a sneaky wee virgin somewhere, there's very young brood

 

[Sutty]

A triple-brood colony had QCs with eggs in & one just about with a smear of jelly last week, I removed the QCs and placed the bottom pretty empty box above the QE below the supers (with another QE in top in case she was in there.
They had produced QCs as expected today, a couple just about sealed.
I couldn't find the queen (always been elusive) despite going through both boxes several times.
So.. put the "empty" deep on the floor and shook/brushed all the bees off both brood boxes into it (with a spare box temporarily on top as a funnel), added a QE and then the brood chambers (cut back to 1 open QC).
Plan is 1st thing tomorrow move the top 2 brood chambers to the side and leave the bottom box and some supers as an artificial swarm in the presumption the queen is in there - time will tell. It's possible they have already swarmed of course.
I've a vague memory of doing this with a single brood decades ago, but never with a double brood+!

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

New carni queen in her nuc after delays by Royal Mail.

Was this Special Delivery - by 1.00pm next day?

 

[Swarm]

Yes, I like the demaree process for swarm prevention but using it to make increase having a flighty VQ wandering around in the top, inspections have the extra danger of her dropping into the bottom box while the colony is apart. While you are rotating frames between the 2 brood boxes. And killing your strong proven queen. Or maybe I worry too much. Probably better to do the inspection late in the day.

Test frame next week.

Use a double screen board.

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Use a double screen board.

Not something I've got around to making. Used instead of the JBM style demaree board?

At the moment the top of the demaree is relatively sparsely populated. I think they've sensed an uncertain future and headed down to join their old queen.

 

[Swarm]

Not something I've got around to making. Used instead of the JBM style demaree board?

At the moment the top of the demaree is relatively sparsely populated. I think they've sensed an uncertain future and headed down to join their old queen.

That's just an access board to allow workers free movement. A double screen board can be used to replace the access board when you decide on your increase and can still be left on the hive with entrance to the rear or removed to another spot, whichever suits you most. The upper box can be fully populated by adding a third brood box to make sure you have a good supply of nurse bees, this third box then reverts to being top box of a double brood as the colony builds again.

 

[Paul_Ward1]

yes, put the replacement queen in the hive immediately on removing the old one

Is the process the same if adding a virgin queen. I have a very unpleasant hive which needs re-queening. I was under the impression, they needed to be made hopelessly queenless prior to introduction of the new queen. Thanks

 

[Erichalfbee]

I was under the impression, they needed to be made hopelessly queenless prior to introduction of the new queen.

I think they must be teaching this at my BKA, plus keeping the new queen caged for 7 days.
No idea where they get that from.
Old queen out new one in tab a day later.
I’ve never run a virgin in so I’ll bow to the experts.

 

[drex]

I think it is suggested by Laurence at BMH. Bought one of his queens recently. Old one out, new one in worked a treat

 

[Paul_Ward1]

I think it is suggested by Laurence at BMH. Bought one of his queens recently. Old one out, new one in worked a treat

In a cage or did you run directly onto the frame immediately after dispatching the old queen?

 

[drex]

In a cage. Tab off after 2 days

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think it is suggested by Laurence at BMH. Bought one of his queens recently. Old one out, new one in worked a treat

A virgin? I think that’s what Paul wants to know?

 

[Sutty]

Is the process the same if adding a virgin queen. I have a very unpleasant hive which needs re-queening. I was under the impression, they needed to be made hopelessly queenless prior to introduction of the new queen. Thanks

I have read people have had some success requeening by simply adding a protected QC to a hive, if successful presumably they either fight it out or the bees get rid of the old queen like a supersedure.
Could be an option for a nasty hive if you have spare QCs.