So I have a scenario that I’m considering for my next visit.
I have a couple of hives with questionable queen status. But both have, predictably with minimal brood raising, stores galore and honey.
I don’t have immediate access to a queen, but am currently looking.
Scenario is
Hive 1. Bottom brood - Capped brood, no eggs no larva. Few old queen cells evident. last checked 16 days ago (Maybe in process of supercedure, so am waiting 🤞) 2nd Brood box full of honey (50%) capped) and pollen. Have moved some frames around to make room.
Nuc 1 (two five frame boxes). New confirmed queen and laying. But not enough eggs to help test hive 1, no sense in wearing this hive before potential merge. None of my hives has enough spare eggs in a single good frame to test 1 (Strong clover flow on filling up every spare space with nectar)
So ”the books” describe week hive merged above strong and queen right hive and on that site. And they usually suggest putting a feeder on top. But in this scenario the strong hive is queenless, and the weaker (ie smaller population) is queen right.
So worst case scenario is Hive 1 remains queenless (no laying at next check in 10-14 days) and nuc queen is available.
So, I’m considering;
Option 1: Take queen from nuc and use a cage to introduce to the queenless hive. (Makes me nervous as i have yet to handle a queen, I know… suck it up buttercup)
Option 2: Merge the nuc (paper method) with “strong queenless hive“ on top with its stores & no feeder. On the nuc site (will be interesting as its currently perched on a wind frame around a tree)
Option 2: Merge the nuc as above, but move it to the hive stand of the stronger hive, but put it on the bottom (queen right on bottom)
Option 3: Merve the nuc but put it on top of the other hive, but I’m worried the the box of stores with dilute the queen pheromones etc and make the merge less reliable.
Option 4 - stop over thinking it and get on with it…. hasn’t worked so well for me in the past.
Hopefully the hive starts to shows laying queen and crises averted. But I’m finding that reviewing my notes and asking in advance takes the edge off at the apiary.
Thanks in advance.
No evidence of AFT. No evidence of DWV/Varroa. No mite test (to risky with no identified queen)
I have a couple of hives with questionable queen status. But both have, predictably with minimal brood raising, stores galore and honey.
I don’t have immediate access to a queen, but am currently looking.
Scenario is
Hive 1. Bottom brood - Capped brood, no eggs no larva. Few old queen cells evident. last checked 16 days ago (Maybe in process of supercedure, so am waiting 🤞) 2nd Brood box full of honey (50%) capped) and pollen. Have moved some frames around to make room.
Nuc 1 (two five frame boxes). New confirmed queen and laying. But not enough eggs to help test hive 1, no sense in wearing this hive before potential merge. None of my hives has enough spare eggs in a single good frame to test 1 (Strong clover flow on filling up every spare space with nectar)
So ”the books” describe week hive merged above strong and queen right hive and on that site. And they usually suggest putting a feeder on top. But in this scenario the strong hive is queenless, and the weaker (ie smaller population) is queen right.
So worst case scenario is Hive 1 remains queenless (no laying at next check in 10-14 days) and nuc queen is available.
So, I’m considering;
Option 1: Take queen from nuc and use a cage to introduce to the queenless hive. (Makes me nervous as i have yet to handle a queen, I know… suck it up buttercup)
Option 2: Merge the nuc (paper method) with “strong queenless hive“ on top with its stores & no feeder. On the nuc site (will be interesting as its currently perched on a wind frame around a tree)
Option 2: Merge the nuc as above, but move it to the hive stand of the stronger hive, but put it on the bottom (queen right on bottom)
Option 3: Merve the nuc but put it on top of the other hive, but I’m worried the the box of stores with dilute the queen pheromones etc and make the merge less reliable.
Option 4 - stop over thinking it and get on with it…. hasn’t worked so well for me in the past.
Hopefully the hive starts to shows laying queen and crises averted. But I’m finding that reviewing my notes and asking in advance takes the edge off at the apiary.
Thanks in advance.
No evidence of AFT. No evidence of DWV/Varroa. No mite test (to risky with no identified queen)