- Joined
- Mar 11, 2021
- Messages
- 2,420
- Reaction score
- 1,739
- Location
- Glossop, North Derbyshire
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 4 to 12!
I looked in one of my hives for the 1st time today (as well as checking & uniting some others.
I'd noticed this hive hasn't been busy, and if anything getting less so.
It overwintered on double brood. The bottom box was essentially empty with no brood. I found about 4 frames of brood in the top box with very patchy brood pattern, there were eggs and BIAS but a small nest only. I did see what looked like a play cup with an egg in it too (removed).
I couldn't find the queen despite going through them several times, and I even tried sieving the contents of the top box through a QE into the bottom box with no success.
I had originally been going to remove this queen and unite with another hive.
I've put a QE between the 2 boxes so I can narrow down the queen's location when I look next.
Any other ideas/advice as to what to do next? I'm thinking shake them out and unite the box with another hive, though they may cluster around a queen on the ground.
I'd noticed this hive hasn't been busy, and if anything getting less so.
It overwintered on double brood. The bottom box was essentially empty with no brood. I found about 4 frames of brood in the top box with very patchy brood pattern, there were eggs and BIAS but a small nest only. I did see what looked like a play cup with an egg in it too (removed).
I couldn't find the queen despite going through them several times, and I even tried sieving the contents of the top box through a QE into the bottom box with no success.
I had originally been going to remove this queen and unite with another hive.
I've put a QE between the 2 boxes so I can narrow down the queen's location when I look next.
Any other ideas/advice as to what to do next? I'm thinking shake them out and unite the box with another hive, though they may cluster around a queen on the ground.
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