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Author Topic: Queen Problems need to requeen need advice, source  (Read 2554 times)

Offline TLWalters

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Queen Problems need to requeen need advice, source
« on: May 29, 2005, 02:22:25 am »
Hi, New to this forum.  Having queen probs much like in the 2001 log book.

Here's my situation.
 I have a background in Entomology and always wanted to try beekeeping. My husband and I finally got around to it and took a 10 week course at WSU Ext.

Started two hives this spring from package bees.   #1 lost the queen end of April. Swapped out a frame with new eggs from hive #2 with laying queen, but no luck with getting #1 to raise a queen.
 
Lots of cells with multiple eggs and #1 also seems to have more bees than the one with a queen #2. They also have some larvae. But no queen or incipient queen cell from the frame I added.  Still lots of cells with multiple eggs. (Laying worker)
 
#2 - hive with a queen, seems to have fewer numbers. Initially had brood but I'm not seeing new brood, not so many eggs either. Some capped. One frame shows something that might be the beginning of a queen cell, but can't tell yet. Also several cells with multiple eggs.  Whats up with that?? Another laying worker like the other hive?
 Also saw some evidence in this hive of chalk brood, but that seems to have disappeared. Of course there's not really much for brood right now either.
 
Neither hive seems to be drawing out the bare foundation. I initially started both hives with drawn frames. Substituted some undrawn frames for some older drawn ones. (Bought a lot of used materials ). The old ones didn't have any eggs or brood so thought maybe it would stimulate the hive to have some undrawn frames as well. Something I read.
 
Both hives are only using about 4-5 frames in the mid part of the bottom box.
 
SO, I'm thinking of requeening and combining the two hives. This year its more important to us to just get the bees going before winter, and not really concerned about honey. I had hoped to have 4 hives by next year -- thinking ours might swarm, but so far we seem to be on the hairy edge of loosing them both.
 
I am not really seeing any disease evidence from the used equip (my first thought until this second queen began to falter) but am wondering about these queens.  I can buy some locally but they would be the same source as originally and I just wonder if that will be more of the same.

So as I'm in N. Idaho (No Not Iowa. Idaho is the one thats by Washington and Oregon )  any ideas on Queen sources?
All input is very appreciated.
Thanks!

 

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