Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => GENERAL BEEKEEPING - MAIN POSTING FORUM. => Topic started by: Clcotner on January 09, 2020, 06:19:24 pm
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I lost the queen in one of my hives, and it is winter here so I can't split or something like that to recover. The queen has been gone from the hive for long enough that all the brood has already hatched. There are 1-2 lbs of bees remaining in the hive, and there are around 8 deep frames of honey remaining for them to use for feed. I bought a new queen through the mail and introduced her to the hive today.
Assuming that they accept her, should I expect the remaining bees will start rearing the brood that the queen produces? Or, is it possible that the remaining bees are old enough that they won't act as nurse bees? I have another hive that is doing well, and I could shake some bees off of a brood frame into the troubled hive if need be...
Opinions?
Thanks,
Curt
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Bees will do any job that needs to be done. Like if there isnt enough foragers some bees will age quickly and forage. Probably wont be most effective nurse bees but they'll do the job.
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Bees will do any job that needs to be done. Like if there isnt enough foragers some bees will age quickly and forage. Probably wont be most effective nurse bees but they'll do the job.
From what I've read, older bees mandibular glands can revert back to producing the substances for brood if need be.
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How long have they been without queen? If laying workers are already present, they will kill the new queen in short order.
It will be best to do the following. Take From the other hive,
- Take one frame of open brood, larvae
- Take one frame of capped and emerging mature brood
- introduce the new queen cage in between those two frames.
To avoid chilled brood and subsequent stress diseases, Select frames that have patches of said brood type which are small enough for the bees to cover and look after.
The open brood will prevent/suppress laying worker developing before the new queen gets established. The capped brood will give her a workforce of fresh nurse bees in as short a time possible.
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Curt, I have another hive that is doing well, and I could shake some bees off of a brood frame into the troubled hive if need be...
The above would not be a good idea. A good chance the bees would fight, killing one another. You may be thinking of shaking in nurse bees, I understand, but consider older bees will be present on the brood frame.
The HoneyPump provided excellent options.
Blessings
Van
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For sure, there are no laying workers at present. In fact, there are no eggs, larvae, or capped brood at all in the hive. Thanks to all for the advice and opinions. I like this idea of adding a frame or two of brood that they can use to jumpstart.
How long have they been without queen? If laying workers are already present, they will kill the new queen in short order.
It will be best to do the following. Take From the other hive,
- Take one frame of open brood, larvae
- Take one frame of capped and emerging mature brood
- introduce the new queen cage in between those two frames.
To avoid chilled brood and subsequent stress diseases, Select frames that have patches of said brood type which are small enough for the bees to cover and look after.
The open brood will prevent/suppress laying worker developing before the new queen gets established. The capped brood will give her a workforce of fresh nurse bees in as short a time possible.